The Dark That Follows
by aeb12484
Summary: Bella and Jessica had been best friends since 8th grade. When Jessica is found dead, Bella's life is turned upside down. Bella is the only person with the proof to bring the murderer to justice. Will Agent Edward Cullen be able to help her? OOC AU-AH M
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight or anything that has made any money. So if you recognize a brand, name, etc. IT'S NOT MINE!

A/N: YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back!!!! I swear, this story was almost not going to happen. Every time I started it, I would delete it and start over. And then the most epic of all epically bad things happened. My computer took a massive dump and crashed on my happy ass. So I had to order a new one and take my old one to a computer guru to retrieve as many files as possible. Luckily, the one things I couldn't retrieve were a few pictures, but enough on that. ON WITH THE NEW STORY!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!

Chapter One

**~The first day of 8****th**** Grade -September 1998~**

I looked around the hallways of the very new school. Unfamiliar faces brushed past me and gave me disapproving looks. I felt like I was naked. So I did what I do best, I looked at my feet and tried not to fall on my ass.

I kept my eyes on the floor as I moved through the sea of people, occasionally looking up to make sure I wasn't going to walk into a wall. I stopped abruptly when a pair of bedazzled flip flops came into my view. I looked up and was greeted by a cheerful brunette.

"Hi! My name is Jessica, but you can call me Jess. You must be the new girl everyone has been talking about. You're really pretty, you shouldn't walk with your head down because it hides your face."

I waited for Jess to either stop talking or pass out from lack of oxygen. When I realized she had stopped talking, I jumped to say something before she started talking again.

"My name's Isabella, but you can call me Bella."

"That is such a pretty name! I really like it. I wish I has a cool name like that. But I got stuck with Jessica. Really original, thanks Mom and Dad."

"I don't mean any offense when I say this, but do you ever stop talking to breathe?"

Jess started laughing.

"I get that a lot actually. I just do that when I'm excited. Everything just wants to come out of my mouth at once and it doesn't want to stop. And I'm doing it again, sorry."

"That's okay. I get really clumsy when I'm nervous, or excited, or upset…actually I'm just clumsy all the time."

"So between, my babbling and your falling, we'll make an excellent pair. So what's your first class?"

"I have English with Mr. Banner."

"Me too! Come on, I know where that class room is. You have to sit next to me."

I smiled as I let Jess drag me down the hallway. She might be a little perky and have verbal diarrhea, but she was being nice to me, and that's always a good start.

**~Senior Prom May 2003 ~**

I stood in front of the mirror in the girls bathroom, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I had just caught my now ex-boyfriend kissing that skank Lauren Mallory. The door to the bathroom burst open and I turned to see Jess stomp in.

"What did that asshole do?"

"I went to get something to drink and when I came back, Mike was kissing Lauren."

"That fucking skank! I'm so sorry, honey. But if this is how he's going to act, don't you think you're better off without him?"

"I suppose, but it still hurts. And this is not how I wanted to spend my senior prom."

Jessica pulled a paper towel out of the dispenser and blotted my face with it.

"Then I'll be damned if you spend our senior prom, locked in the girls bathroom and crying. Come on, you and I are going back out there and we're going to have fun. Just think of how crazy it will make him when you act like you don't care. Don't let that douche lord ruin our night."

I smiled and nodded my head. Jess always made great sense. We left the restroom and were promptly greeted by Mike standing outside of the door. He gave me a crooked smile and ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey, Babe. I was starting to think you fell in. Let's go dance."

Before I could even open my mouth, I saw Jessica's fist connect with Mike's jaw and Mike dropping to the ground. I stood there, stunned.

"If you ever talk to Bella again, I will fucking end you. You're a worthless piece of shit and she deserves better than some asshole that's going to cheat on her."

Mike tried to sputter a response but Jess cut him off again.

"No! You don't get a say. You were kissing that hose beast, you fucked up. Deal with it."

Jess pulled me away from Mike and back out to the dance floor. Jess and I spent the rest of the night laughing and dancing.

**~Present day~ **

I walked along the sidewalks as quickly as I could. Jessica sounded so frantic when she called. I knew that she had been under a lot of stress lately but she sounded more than stressed, she was panicked. I pulled the door to the café open and looked around the small room. In the corner of the room, I saw Jessica shrouded in a dark hoodie.

"Jess, what's wrong? You sounded so freaked out."

"Bella, I did something really stupid."

"What did you do?"

Jess looked around nervously. Her behavior was starting to worry me.

"Jess, you're freaking me out. What's going on?"

Jess leaned closer to me.

"I slept with someone I work with."

"Is that all? Jess, people sleep with their co-workers all the time. Why are you so worried about that."

"It's not just that, Bella. He's married."

"Okay…that changes things a little, but it's still not the end of the world."

"There's more, a lot more."

"Oh God, are you pregnant?"

My attempt to crack a joke blew up in my face. Jess' shoulders started to shake with her sobs.

"Oh, Jess."

"I found out this morning. I don't know what I'm going to do. I worked so hard in police academy. And he's not exactly the type of guy I want to have a kid with."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know things. He told me about some of the things he's done since he became a corporal. Bella, I'm scared."

"Jess, you're freaking me out."

"I know and I'm sorry, Bella. But I have to tell you. Someone needs to know these things. Here, take this."

Jess pulled a disc out of her bag and slid it across the table towards me.

"If anything happens to me, watch this. It explains everything."

I felt my heart drop.

"Jess, what did you get yourself in to?"

"Bella, I can't explain here. Please, just take this. It explains everything that's going on."

"You said that already. What I want to know is, why is my best friend acting like someone is out to get her?"

"It's a very likely possibility."

Jess stood up and grabbed her bag.

"Bella, just so you know, I love you. Thank you for always being by my side."

Jess pulled me out of my chair and into a hug. I pushed myself away from her.

"Jess, why are you so sure that something is going to happen to you? How bad is this guy that he has you this freaked out?"

"Check the disc."

Jess turned to leave but I stopped her.

"Whatever this is, we can figure something out. Just because you're pregnant by some sleaze bag doesn't mean your life is over."

"It's not that simple, Bella."

"I know, but we'll think of something. Whatever happens, I'll be by your side the whole time."

Jess gave me a weak smile and wiped the tears off of her face.

"I have to go. I'm sorry, Bella."

Jess ran towards the door. I stood in one spot, completely confused as to what was going on. I forced myself to come back to reality. I grabbed the disc from the table and ran out of the café after Jess. I looked around the sidewalk, but she was gone. I was left to stand on the sidewalk, alone and oblivious as to what was going on.

~*~*~

I shuffled around my apartment and kept looking at the disc. I hadn't watched it yet. I was almost afraid to know what was going on. Jess was so freaked out. I drummed my fingers on the counter before I grabbed the disc and opened the case. Pulling my laptop in front of me, I popped the disc into the drive and waited for the window to pop up.

A video lit up the screen. Jess looked into the camera and was terrified.

"My name is Officer Jessica Elizabeth Stanley. Everything I am telling you on this video, I say of sound mind and body. Corporal Barlow and myself have engaged in activities unbecoming of an officer. We have been sleeping together and I am now pregnant with his child. I am documenting this because I fear for my safety and the safety of my unborn child. On this disc, you will find sound clips, files, and videos that all document the types of activities Corporal Barlow has been involved in. He knows that I know too much and that I pose as a threat to his career and his marriage. I have set up a meeting with the Commander, but it's very likely that something will happen to me before then. In that event, I want the files on this disc to be held as proof against Corporal Barlow for all of his wrong doings, and expect him to be brought to justice. On a personal note should something happen to me, to my parents, I love you both and I am so sorry that I got myself into this. Thank you for giving me the wonderful life I had. To my best friend, Bella, I trust you to take care of this. I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I love you like a sister. You've made my life so much better by being in it. And please take care of Kirby for me, I don't trust him with anyone else."

The screen went blank and a new window popped up. All of the files Jess had mentioned were all there. I felt sick to my stomach, but I had to know. I clicked on one of the video clips. The image of a man pointing a gun at a crying woman was plastered on my screen. With trepidation, I hit play. The woman was crying and pleading for her life while the man was taunting her. In front of the woman was a shallow hole. My stomach clenched as I heard the gun go off. I watched in horror as a blossom of red appeared on the woman's chest as she fell forward into what I could only assume was intended to be her grave.

I closed the window and grabbed my keys. I had to get to Jess before this guy could.

~*~

I ran up the stairs as fast as I could. My legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. I hit the landing for Jess' floor and pushed the door open, almost plowing someone down in the process. I called out a quick apology as I kept running.

I got to Jess' apartment and shoved the key into the lock. The door opened and let in a small amount of light into the entry way. Maybe she wasn't home yet. I heard a creaking noise and the sound of small footsteps. Jess' dog, Kirby, came bouncing up to me. I picked him up and patted his small head. I apprehensively reached for the light switch to the living room. Light flooded the small room and I felt my stomach heave. There hanging from the ceiling boards was Jess' lifeless body.

A/N: dun dun dun…I hope I'm back with a bang ^_~ Yes, I'm up to my old tricks and I hope you're all excited to start a new journey with me. Please forgive how long this story took to get out. Please leave me some lovins, I'm very nervous that you guys will all hate this one. LOVE AND ROCKETS(If you haven't been watching My Life As Liz, you need to.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything Twilight yadda yadda yadda. You know how this goes.**

**A/N: So first, I'm sorry fort the epic update fail. I think that was the longest span I have ever had in not updating. I'm glad to see that people are enjoying it thus far. I know some of you are upset with how the story started, but those of you that have read my previous story, know how twisted I am. Thank you to my super beta, ocean, you know I love ya chica!!! It's so great to be working with you again. And thank you to Becca aka reader goof, not only for the beyond wonderful banner, but for letting me use her a pre-reader to bounce ideas off of. So on with chapter 2!**

Chapter 2-

~*~ April 2000 ~*~

"_Bella! Come on! We're going to be late."_

_Jess was pulling me down the hallway towards the auditorium. I had actually agreed to perform with her in the talent show. Why? I don't think I will ever know. _

"_I don't know if I can do this, Jess."_

"_You're just nervous, you'll be fine. Just act like you're singing with me in my room and you'll be great."_

_It was really sweet of her to try and calm my nerves, but it wasn't working. The butterflies in my stomach had turned into humming birds. The doors to the auditorium grew dauntingly closer. _

_My legs started to feel heavy and my breathing was picking up. _

"_Jess, I think I'm going to be sick."_

"_No you're not! You're just being a wimp and as your friend, it is my job to tell you to suck it up."_

"_Jess, I don't want to throw up on the stage in front of the whole school."_

"_And the whole school's parents too."_

"_Yeah, not helping."_

"_Bells, we've sang the song a hundred times. And don't you want James to notice you?"_

"_Yes, but…"_

"_No buts! You're a beautiful, confident, and talented woman. It's time for the whole school to see this side of you."_

_I hated to admit it, but Jess was right. It was time for me to suck it up and show these people what I was made of. I took a deep breath and put my chin up._

"_Let's do this."_

_I pushed the auditorium doors open and prayed my new found courage would stick._

~*~

I felt something cold touch my hand. I looked down and saw Kirby nudging my hand and trying to burrow into my side. I picked up the small dog and sat him in my lap. I looked around Jess' apartment and tried to keep my sobs quiet. The living room was filled with police officers and detectives. Everything was a total blur. From the time I showed up, called the police, and got sick.

"Miss Swan? I'm Officer Vargas, I know you're still processing all of this, but we need to ask you some questions."

I looked into the eyes of a very sympathetic man. I could only manage to nod.

"Do you feel comfortable answering questions without a lawyer present?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Was Miss Stanley acting differently?"

"She was acting really strange this morning. She had just found out that she was pregnant."

"Do you think she would kill herself? Law enforcement officers are usually at a higher suicide risk than other professions."

"No. Jess would never kill her self. Some did this. When I talked to her this morning, she was convinced that something was going to happen to her."

"Did she say what?"

"She was involved with someone, Corporal Barlow, I think. But she made a disc documenting everything. There's videos, sound clips, and other things that prove this guy was up to no good. And she told him she was pregnant and he wasn't too happy about that."

"Where is the disc now?"

"At my apartment."

"We're going to need that disc from you. If it proves that Corporal Barlow was involved with Miss Stanley's death, we will need to see it."

"I can get it for you if someone can take me home."

"We'll arrange for that in just a minute. Did you see anything suspicious on your way here?"

"No….wait. When I was coming up here, I saw someone. I didn't get a very good look at him, but I don't think I've ever seen him around the building before."

"Can you describe him at all?"

"He was maybe about six feet tall, bigger muscular build, and he had brown hair. That's all I can remember about him, sorry."

"That's okay, Miss Swan, you've been through a lot this evening. Besides, it's better than nothing."

"Can I go home now?"

"We'll arrange for an officer to take you home, you shouldn't be driving right now."

"Is it okay if I get all of the stuff for the dog? I promised Jess that I would take care of him if anything happened to her."

"Yeah, but someone will have to double check it before you leave."

"I understand."

I walked into the kitchen and stopped when I saw the collage of pictures on the fridge. The pictures ranged from the year we met up until about one month ago. I smiled when I saw the picture of us winning the school talent show our freshman year. I would always be grateful to Jess for being able to make me brave and strong. Lord knows I need those two qualities right now. I forced myself to look away from the fridge and started gathering everything Kirby would need. Before I left the kitchen, I pulled all of the pictures off of the fridge. I put everything into bags and went back into the living room, noticing that my heart rate had picked up. I looked over at Officer Vargas and noticed he was on the phone. I gave him a weak smile. I lifted the bag to show I was ready to go. He closed his phone and walked up to me.

"Did you get everything you need?"

"Yes. Is it okay if I take the pictures from the fridge? I don't think they are important to the investigation."

I handed him the stack of pictures and watched as he shuffled through them. He handed them back to me and smiled.

"I don't see why you can't have them."

"Thank you. And here is the stuff that I'm taking for Kirby."

I handed him the bag and let him go through everything. Kirby was nudging my leg, wanting to be picked up. I scooped him up and cradled him to me. He burrowed his face into my hair and let out a small whimper. It was almost like he knew what was going on. I patted the back of his head, trying to soothe him. Officer Vargas handed me the bag.

"There is a squad car waiting for you in front of the building. If you need anything or remember anything, please call me. And if you need a counselor, we can arrange for something for you."

"Thank you. If I remember anything, I will let you know."

Officer Vargas put a small piece of paper in my hand and turned to leave Jess' apartment. When I reached the door, I stopped and looked back. All of the good times that we had shared in this apartment would now be over shadowed. I opened the door and let it close gently behind me. Kirby let out another small whimper as the door clicked.

"I know, I miss her too, fuzzy face. Let get you to your new home."

I slowly moved my feet, not paying attention to anything or anyone around me. Several of Jess' neighbors had poked their heads out of their apartments to ask me what was going on, but I just ignored them and kept walking. I got to the front lobby and was greeted by another man in blue.

"Are you Bella Swan?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Officer Alden. I'll be taking you home."

I managed a half hearted smile and followed him to his car. The ride back to my place was quiet and a little uncomfortable. I watched the street lights go by. Each passing one lit up the cab of the vehicle. I could see the sympathetic looks the officer was giving me. I didn't want anyone's pity or sympathy right now. All I wanted was for my best friend to be alive.

"We're here. I've been instructed to escort you to your apartment and get the disc from you."

I led the way through the hallways and stopped at my door. The door was cracked open. I knew I had left in a hurry, but I knew I had closed the door all the way. Officer Alden noticed my hesitation.

"Is something wrong, Miss Swan?"

"My door is open. I know I closed. I've always made sure that I close my door and lock it before I leave."

"Stay out here. I'll clear the apartment."

Officer Alden upholstered his gun and slowly pushed the door open. The light from the hallway lit up the entry to my apartment. He felt around on the wall for the light switch. Flipping the switch, my apartment was now lit. I peeked into my apartment from the hallway. To my shock, it had been trashed. The stuffing from my couch was thrown all over the floor, my TV was shattered, and the pictures on the walls were on the floor. I wanted to go in to assess the rest of the damage, but I waited in the hallway with Kirby at my feet. He looked up at me and then into my apartment. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that he had a look of total disgust on his face.

"Okay, Miss Swan. Your apartment is secure. I'm going to call for some back up. You might want to think of staying somewhere else tonight. Is there anywhere you can stay?"

I just stood in the hallway fighting the urge to cry or kick something. That's when it hit me. Alice. I hadn't even thought to call her to let her know what was going on. I had spent the whole day worried about Jess that I didn't even think to call Alice.

"Yeah, I'll call her right now."

I pulled my phone out and dialed Alice's number. I took a deep breath and tried to compile what I would say to her.

"Hey, Bells! How goes it?"

"Alice, I have bad news."

"It's Jess, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"I just had a feeling. How bad is it?"

"She's dead, Alice."

The phone went silent.

"Alice?"

"Where are you at?"

"I'm at my apartment with a police officer. Someone broke into my apartment. Is there any way you can come and get me?"

"I'll be right over."

"Thank you, Alice. I'll see you in a little bit."

"My friend is coming to pick me up."

"Good. Do you remember where you put the disc at?"

I had almost forgotten.

"I left it in my laptop."

I stepped into my apartment and went to the counter where I had left my computer. My once intact laptop was now in a million pieces on the floor. I bent down and sifted through the remains desperately trying to find the disc. When I realized that it was gone, my heart sank. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I looked up at Officer Alden.

"It's not here."

It all hit at once. Whom ever had killed Jess, knew where I lived. More importantly, they knew I was involved and that I knew too much.

**A/N: Again, I'm so sorry for the epic posting fail on this chapter. I have been very distracted at work. Being a police dispatcher kinda sucks a majority of the time. But I will try to be better. If not, I will give out my home address so you can all write to me and threaten me. Leave me some love ^_^**

**Chapter play list: Brick By Boring Brick by Paramore, Breaking Inside by Shinedown, Fight Like This by Decyfer Down, Carry Me Down by Demon Hunter, Burning Souls by Souls Harbor, Broken Bones by Rev Theory**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight

A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! I love you all. I know I haven't been updating this story as fast as I was updating THC, and I'm sorry that I'm not following that schedule. Unfortunately, my job has taken over most of my life and I'm pretty much catatonic when I come home. I'm still fighting through that haze. So if you notice I'm taking a long time before I post a new chapter, please feel free to email me and light the fire under my arse. As always, thank you to all of my lovely readers. You all keep me going. And to my fabulous and wonderful beta, oceanwaters2006, you're an absolute doll and I adore you!

Chapter 3

~September 2003- First Day of College~

_I dropped the last pillow into place on my bed. Looking around the room, I could feel the butterflies start to kick in. I was in college. This had to be one of the most strange feelings ever. I still felt like I should be in junior high. _

"_This is the last of it roomie!"_

_Jess came into our dorm room with her arms full of boxes. She dropped them onto her bed and let out a sigh of relief. _

"_I could have helped you with those."_

"_Nah, it's a good arm work out."_

"_Like you need anymore toning."_

"_It doesn't hurt."_

"_Okay, but when you look like a dude and can't get a date, don't whine to me about it."_

"_But if I can't whine to you, who can I complain to?"_

_I was about to come back with a witty retort, but a soft knock stopped me. I looked over to the door and saw someone that had to be the most petite brunette I had ever seen. The bright shining smile on her face made me like her instantly._

"_Hi! I'm Alice. I live in the dorm next door and I thought I should introduce myself."_

_Jess happily bounced over to Alice to shake her hand._

"_I'm Jess and this is Bella."_

_I stepped forward and shook her hand. My hand felt like it could easily break hers. _

"_It's nice to meet you, Alice."_

"_It's great to meet both of you! I just know we're going to be the best of friends!"_

_A slow smile spread across my face. And part of me knew that she was right._

~*~

My hands ran over the shards of plastic again and again, trying desperately to find the disc. Two black boots came into my view. I looked up and saw Officer Alden staring down at me.

"Did you find the disc?"

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.

"It's gone."

"It's gone?"

"Yes. I don't know how they knew, but someone took it."

"I see. Excuse me one moment."

Officer Alden walked out into the hallway. I didn't like where this was going. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly called Alice. She picked up by the second ring.

"I'm almost there! Traffic is bullshit right now."

"Alice, I think I might be in trouble."

"Bells, what are you talking about?"

"I had something that Jess gave me and it had evidence on it. Someone broke into my apartment and stole it."

"Oh shit."

"I know. Now someone knows I'm involved. Not only that, I was the one that found Jess."

"Oh double shit."

"Alice, I don't want you to come here."

"What! Why?"

"Because, the person that did this could very easily be watching my place. I can't let you get brought into this too."

"Bella, I want you to listen very closely, I'm only going to say this once. Fuck off!"

"Wow, that's inspiring."

"Bells, whatever crap you got yourself into this time, I will be there to help you get out of it. That's what friends do."

I heard my door move. Officer Alden had come back into my apartment and was giving me a very unsettling look.

"Alice, I gotta go. I need you to come pick up Kirby."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and gently closed it.

"I really don't like that look you're giving me."

"I'm sorry to have to do this, Miss Swan, but you'll have to come with me."

"Can I do it without the handcuffs? I have to live in this building for another year until my lease is up and I would really like it if people weren't talking about me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Turn around for me, please. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been given to you?"

"Yes."

The cold metal felt harsh on my wrists. I tried to ignore it and cooperate. I knew I was in deep and acting like an ass wouldn't do anything to help my cause. I did everything that was asked of me and let Officer Alden lead me down to his patrol car. As I slid into the back of the car, I tried to keep myself calm.

_Just breathe._

~*~

I sat in the interrogation room by myself. I looked around the room and noticed the two way mirror and smiled to myself. At this point in time, I wondered how many people the actually fooled with those stupid things. I heard a muffled beeping noise. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door being pushed open. I kept my eyes on the table in front of me. The chair made a noise as it was pulled along the tile floor.

Here we go.

"So, Miss Swan, can you tell me what you were doing at Jessica Stanley's apartment?"

The voice I heard was a sweet angelic crooning. I looked up and almost gasped at the man in front of me. He was the epitome of gorgeous. He had piercing green eyes and a mess of bronze hair. His suit was perfectly tailored to his body. He cleared his throat and it snapped me out of my hottie induced haze.

"Miss Swan?"

"I'm sorry. I was there to check on her. I looked at the CD she gave me and I wanted to make sure that she was okay."

"And this CD that had the proof as to whom killed Jessica is now missing."

"I know how this looks. But Jessica was my best friend. I would have taken a bullet for that girl."

"That may be so, but that doesn't clear you from being a suspect."

"If I was the one that killed her, why would I call the police?"

"It happens all the time. People try to play that they're innocent and cooperate with the police to try and shift the blame."

"Do you really think I would have the strength to kill a trained police officer and hoist her body up into the rafters?"

"You could have had help."

"All you have to do is check the surveillance camera footage at my apartment building and Jess'. There are cameras at every door of my building. The footage will show that after I came home in the afternoon, I didn't leave again until around eight."

I could see that he was thinking about what I had just said.

"Excuse me one moment."

He stood up and walked out of the room. I didn't care if anyone in the other room saw me staring gratuitously at his ass as he left. I smiled to my self at the humor of the situation. There was this gorgeous man right in front of me and the only reason why he was talking to me was because he thought I murdered my friend. The door beeped as it opened. I looked up and gave a half hearted smile to the nameless God walking towards me.

"We contacted security at your building. They'll be sending someone with the surveillance tapes from today."

"Thank you. You know, I never got your name."

"I'm Agent Edward Cullen. I've been sent here by the state to investigate this case."

"Wow. They actually went federal?"

"Because of the nature of this case, and outside agency has to be brought in to investigate. And because of your statement that Officer Vargas got at the apartment, they had no choice in the matter."

"You mean about Jess being involved with Corporal Barlow."

"Yes, that. But with that disc no where to be found, there isn't a lot to back up your claim."

"So you're just going to dismiss it?"

"No, we will look in to it, but we do need proof."

"I understand that, but what am I supposed to do in the mean time?"

"Meaning?"

"Who ever killed Jess knows that I know the truth. They know where I live and they broke into my apartment."

"Assuming the tapes prove that you couldn't have been there to kill Jessica Stanley, you'll have an officer working as a guard."

"That's a little bit more comforting, I guess."

"Now, about this CD, what was on it?"

I looked at the two way mirror behind him and gave him a worried look.

"I see you've figured out that that's a two way mirror. It's okay, there aren't any Phoenix officers watching. The only officers back there are from different agencies."

"That still doesn't mean anything. Nobody knows how far this stretches. It's all government. Everybody is in bed together. No offense."

"None taken. So with that off of your chest, may we continue?"

"Fine. There were videos, pictures, and sound files. I didn't see that much."

"So you did see something from the disc?"

"Yes, I did."

"What was it?"

"It was a video. You could clearly see a man pointing a gun at a woman that was on her knees in front of a shallow hole."

"Is that all?"

"She was crying and pleading for mercy. And then he shot her in the head."

"Would you be able to identify him if you saw a picture?"

"Probably."

Agent Cullen pulled several pictures out of a folder and placed them in front of me. My eyes shifted over them and stopped on the last one. I could feel my heart rate speed up.

"This one. That was the guy in the video."

"Interesting."

"What?"

"That's Corporal Barlow."

"Well, there you go."

"I'm sorry, that's still not enough to clear you."

"A girl can hope, right?"

There was a faint knock on the door. Agent Cullen stood from his chair and gave me a small smile that made me knees quiver.

"Excuse me one moment."

Again, I watched him glide effortlessly to the door. The man was simply beautiful. I let out a light sigh and looked back to the two way mirror. I was sure whom ever was behind it was plenty entertained. I drummed my fingers on the smooth table surface and waited for Agent Cullen to come back. The minutes slowly ticked away before Agent Cullen came back.

"Well, it looks like you're free to go. The tapes show that there's no way you had enough time to go from your apartment, over to Ms. Stanley's, and be able to kill her and set up the scene."

"Why do I have a feeling that there's a but coming?"

"But, the autopsy reports will have to come back to prove the time of death."

"So, not that I mind, but why am I free to go?"

"The results will take a while and with the tapes showing that you couldn't have been there, we have no evidence to hold you here."

I nodded and stood up from my chair. I walked towards the metal door feeling a giant weight being pulled off of my shoulders. Agent Cullen followed me out of the room and down the long corridor leading out into the main lobby. I was just about to the door when I felt his hand on my shoulder. I turned to face him, trying to hide my smile.

"Wait here."

He turned and took off down the hallway, disappearing into a room. He emerged a few seconds later holding a giant duffle bag. He must have noticed the questioning look on my face.

"Remember how I told you that you would have someone assigned to you as a guard?"

"Yes."

"That would be me."

I lost all control of my facial muscles and I felt my jaw drop. I was so screwed.

A/N: FINALLY!!!!!!! This damn chapter took me a freakin month to get out! I have been battling the biggest bitch of a writers block I have ever had before. I'm very sorry that it took this long, but I would rather take my time and work through it than turn out crap work just to get a chapter out. I think you all deserve better and more from me than that. Please leave me some lovin'. It inspires me.

Chapter play list: Rollin by State of Shock, Stitches by Orgy, Simple Lies by Endo, In Memory by Shinedown, Unstable by Adema, Chasm by Flyleaf, Take Away by Revelation Theory


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Don't own a darned thing to do with Twilight**

**A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews on the last chapter. I was so worried that you would all hate me for making you all wait so long! But like I said, I didn't want to just write crap and put it up just to move the story along. You have all been so wonderful and I would hate myself if I did that to you. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. You all had just about the same reaction to the last chapter, and that would be that you all want Agent Cullen as your own personal bodyguard. Who wouldn't? ***my mind is in a happy place*** And a super big thank you to my super amazing beta, oceanwaters2006. You put me to shame with your ability to do all that you do!**

**Chapter 4**

It took me a minute to pick my jaw up off of the floor. I don't know how I looked at the time, but I knew that I was just standing there and staring blankly at him. I was going to have one of the most gorgeous men I've ever seen, acting as my personal body guard. This was good. This was very good.

"Miss Swan? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, sorry. I guess all of the events of the day have caught up with me."

"That's understandable. Shall we go?"

"Sure, but where are we going to go? My apartment is a crime scene."

"We've made arrangements. Just follow me and we'll head out."

I started following Agent Cullen down the hallway when reality hit.

"What am I going to do about clothes?"

Agent Cullen stopped and turned to face me.

"We've already made arrangements for some of your belongings to be picked up."

"Okay. Oh crap! Kirby."

"Who or what is Kirby?"

"He's…was Jess' dog. She left him to me to take care of. I told my friend to pick him up from my place but I'm not sure if she made it over there. I better call her."

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly dialed Alice's number. She answered on the second ring.

"Bella! What the fuck happened? I showed up to your apartment and I was forced into playing twenty questions with the police."

"I'm sorry, Alice. I should have told you earlier, but I didn't have time. But I was arrested as a suspect in Jess' murder. It was just all a misunderstanding and I was a victim of circumstance."

"Did they let you go?"

"Yes, I'm on my way out of here right now."

"I'll come get you. Just wait there, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Actually, I have a ride. One of the agents on the case has been assigned as my bodyguard."

"Seriously?"

"It's just a precaution since someone broke into my apartment. They want to make sure that nothing happens. And I have to stay somewhere other than my place just in case."

"Wow. This whole situation is so fucked up."

"You're telling me."

"Alright, Bells, call me when you get to wherever it is you're staying. And I'll take care of Kirby until you can come get him. I love you, Bells."

"I love you too, Ali."

I closed my phone and turned back to Agent Cullen.

"My friend is going to take care of him until I can pick him up."

Agent Cullen let out a sigh.

"I can tell that that dog is special to you. We'll go pick him up before we go to our apartment."

I felt a small flutter when he said 'our apartment'. I quickly pushed my the feeling aside.

"You would let me do that?"

"Bella, you're a free woman. I'm just tagging along as extra protection. Just think of me as your shadow."

_I've never been this attracted to my shadow before. Stop it! Now is not the time to be thinking about hot men!_

"Well, shall we then?"

I followed behind Agent Cullen for two reasons. The first, because he told me to stay behind him. And the second, what a great view. The door opened and the warm night air hit me. It felt good to get out of the air conditioned building. Agent Cullen stopped in front of a small black car and opened the passenger door for me, something I wasn't used to. I watched as he walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life and we were off. The first few minutes were full of awkward silence. I took a deep breath and looked out the window.

"Is everything alright, Miss Swan?"

"I keep waiting to wake up. All of this seems like a horrible dream."

"I'm really sorry for your loss. We're going to do whatever we can to bring whom ever did this to justice."

"Thank you. But that still won't bring her back."

I could feel my eyes burn as the tears threatened to build. I blinked them away as quickly as I could. I wasn't going to cry in front of someone I hardly knew. I had years experience of burying my emotions, a few more hours wouldn't kill me. We rode the rest of the way to Alice's with me only speaking to give him directions. Alice's building came in to view and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Once the car was stopped, I had to fight to urge to go running up the stairs and to Alice's apartment. I walked up the stairs with Agent Cullen behind me, and I could have sworn I heard a sharp intake of breath. I looked back at him and smiled when I realized his eyes were fixated on my ass. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He quickly looked away and acted like he was looking at the ground beneath him. Smooth.

We made our way to Alice's apartment and I knocked on the door eagerly. I could hear Kirby's tiny feet clicking on the wooden floor followed by Alice running to the door. It flew open, and I was attacked by the small pixie and the fluff ball that is Kirby. Alice's arms were tight around me and I wrapped my arms around her also.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Bella."

"Me too."

Alice pulled back and smiled at me. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying. I was suddenly aware of a small head nudging my ankle. Looking down at my feet, Kirby sat expectantly, waiting to be picked up. I bent to pick him up and was immediately attacked by doggie kisses. I held him in my hands and turned to Agent Cullen.

"Agent Cullen, this is my best friend Alice. And this is Kirby."

Agent Cullen extended his hand to shake Alice's.

"You can call me Edward."

_So the angel has a name._

"Well, Edward, you had better take good care of my friend. Special Agent or not, you won't be safe from me if anything happens to her."

"I'll remember that. And I'll do everything I have to to keep her safe."

"Good."

Alice turned back to me and I noticed her smile fall and tears form in her eyes.

"Are you okay, Alice?"

"I can't lose you, Bella."

I put Kirby back on the ground and I pulled Alice into a hug and let my hand stroke her hair.

"You won't. But the same goes for you."

Alice pulled back and looked at me in question.

"What are you talking about, Bells? I'll be fine."

"Alice, they know you were close to Jess, too. I just want you to be really careful."

"I will, Bells."

Edward cleared his throat behind us.

"If it would make you feel more safe, I could arrange for someone to come and stay with you, Alice."

"Really? I could have my own Agent McHottie Pants?"

Edward smiled and looked down at his feet while running a hand through that glorious hair.

"Sure. I'll make a call when we get back to the car," Edward turned to me and gave me a faint smile. "And I'm sorry to cut this short, but we should get going."

"Okay. I just need to grab all of Kirby's things."

Alice and I gathered all of the things I had packed for Kirby and I begrudgingly walked back towards the door. I smiled when I saw Kirby looking up at Edward with his head cocked to the side. He was very observant of new people. Kirby heard me coming and he gave me a questioning glance before looking back up at Edward.

"It's okay, Kirby. He's one of the good guys."

Edward looked down at the small dog at his feet and let out a small laugh. He bent down and let Kirby smell his hand. Kirby slowly sniffed his hand before burying his head into it. Edward picked up the small dog and laughed.

"Is he always this demanding of being pet?"

"Yes. He's even worse when he wants to snuggle on the couch."

"Well, I think he and I will get along just fine."

I turned back to Alice to see her wiping a tear away from her cheek.

"Alice, don't cry. Everything is going to be fine. I'll call you as soon as we get to the house."

"Okay."

I hugged Alice one more time before Edward led me out of the building. Kirby sat happily curled in Edward's hands. He stopped before the main door and handed Kirby to me.

"I have to have my hands free in case something happens."

I fought the nauseous feeling I had and just gave a small nod. The few seconds that it took to get to the car felt so nerve racking. That's when I realized, this was how it was going to be from now on. Always looking over my shoulder.

~*~

The car pulled up to a dimly lit house. I looked out the window and sighed. This was going to be home for a while. Kirby popped up from my lap and looked out the window. His little tail wagged as he looked around anxiously.

"Well, Miss Swan, this is our new home."

"Goody."

I opened my door and let Kirby hop out. I stood and looked around the neighborhood. It was modern suburbia. All of the houses were about the same color and style. I grabbed the bag from the backseat and followed Edward up to the door. I sat and patiently waited while he unlocked the three locks securing the door. Edward pushed the door open and then turned to me.

"Wait right here, I'm going to go clear the rest of the house."

I looked around the living room and was utterly surprised at the size of it. There was a huge sectional in the center of the room and a big flat screen mounted on the wall. I leaned into the room to get a better look into the kitchen. Edward came out of one of the rooms and slowly opened the door to the room next to it. It was both sexy and scary to see him with his gun drawn. Edward came back into the living room and put his gun back in the holster.

"It's all clear."

I walked into the middle of the living room and furthered my assessment of the house. There were bookshelves full of DVD's and books.

"Does somebody live here?"

"No, this is one of the emergency houses that we have set aside for cases like this."

"So what's with all of the books and movies?"

"We have to have something to keep us entertained. As of now, there really won't be much going out."

"What about my job? I can't just stop showing up."

"We already called your boss and explained the situation. She's very understanding and said that she would hold your job for you until you got back."

"Wow. So I'm really a shut in now?"

"Pretty much. Your room is this one right here. One of our agents stopped by your apartment to pick up things that you would need."

I walked over the door that he gestured to and pushed it open. The room was beautiful. The walls were a pale yellow and there were black accents all over the room. I had to fight the blush from forming on my face when I saw the king size bed in the middle of the room. I placed Kirby's doggie bed on the floor at the foot of the bed. I sat on the edge and watched Kirby playing at my feet. I laid back and stared at the ceiling. My mind began to wander and I could feel sleep start to creep into my limbs. The last thought I remembered having was how much my life had changed in the last 24 hours.

**A/N: Another long wait. I seriously have no idea where in the world this writer's block is coming from. I can only say that I am really trying to work through it and get the chapters out and not make them suck. If they do start to go down in quality, please let me know and I will try to make it up to you all. Thank you to all of you for being so kind, encouraging, and understanding. I ADORE YOU ALL!!!!!**

**Chapter Playlist: Rebel Yell by Dope, She Builds Quick Machines by Velvet Revolver, Closure of Ashes by SIXPIN, Way Beyond by 32 Leaves, Unstable by Adema, Losing Everything by Destrophy, After the Rain by Revelation Theory. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: *Insert witty comment about me not owning anything Twilight related***

**A/N: You are all so flippin' sweet! I was so worried that you would all blast me. But I keep forgetting how wonderful you all are. Thank you for being so encouraging and helping me get through this bitch of a block. Thank you for the wonderful reviews. And thank you to my always lovely and wonderful beta, oceanwaters2006!**

**And as requested, I will be moving the play list to the beginning of each chapter. The only thing I do need to explain is that my play lists are the songs I'm listening to as I write the chapter. Some of the songs do coincide with the chapter, but it's usually ones I just pull. I hope I get you all to check out some of the more unknown bands. And those of you that have been reading since The Hero Complex know, I don't really listen to rap or whiney emo stuff. If you have suggestions for songs, let me know! I would love to check them out. **

**Chapter Playlist: **Violence by Dope, Enjoy the Silence by Lacuna Coil, From The Inside by Depswa, Outsider (Apocalypse Remix) by A Perfect Circle, Home by Sevendust, Far by AM Conspiracy, Out To Get You by Bloodsimple, Selfish and Cold by Revelation Theory, and Fight Like This by Decyfer Down

**Chapter 5-**

_Jess' face was filled with concern as she looked at me. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks._

_"I'm so sorry, Jess. You depended on me and I already screwed it up."_

_"It's okay, Bells. I know you didn't know the lengths they would go to. I'm more worried about you staying safe."_

_Her voice sounded hoarse. I nodded my head and looked down at my feet._

_"What do I do now? I have no proof."_

_"It will come to you, Bells. You'll be just fine."_

_"How am I supposed to be fine? Jess, I don't think I'm strong enough to not have you by my side through this. You were always there for me. You gave me the strength to do things I never would have been able to do."_

_"Bella, you did all of that on your own. I just gave you a push."_

_"I could really use a good push right now."_

_I felt Jess' arms go around me. She pulled back and smiled at me._

_"You can do this. I'll always be watching over you. Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean I'm not there."_

_Fresh tears began to burn my eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out._

_"I have to go, Bella. Take care of Alice and tell her I love her. You two will be just fine. I love you, Bells."_

_I tried to push the words out of my mouth, but nothing was happening. Jess smiled softly at me. I looked at her neck and saw a dark red line begin to form across it. Jess reached up and lightly touched the line. I watched in horror as her head jerked unnaturally to the side. I tried to reach out to her, but I wasn't close enough. I fought against an invisible force to no avail. Jess was being pulled away from me._

I jolted up from the bed. My breath was coming in quick pants and my hair was plastered to my face. I looked around the empty room and felt my tears building again. The house was silent and I was alone. I didn't have to hide now. I let the tears fall, not wanting to stop them this time. A loud banging caught me off guard. The bedroom door flew open and slammed into the wall. Edward stood in the doorway with his gun drawn and looking around the room. Kirby jumped out of his bed and let out a small grunt when he hit the floor. It took Edward a few seconds to realize no one else was in the room and he put his gun down. The fact that he was only wearing navy blue boxers was not lost upon me.

"Sorry, Miss Swan. I heard you screaming."

"I was just having a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay, Miss Swan. It's part of the job. Are you okay?"

I tried to say that I was, but the words wouldn't come out. I tried to nod my head, but it wouldn't move. I took a deep breathe and looked at my lap. I couldn't act like I was okay. I wasn't. I shook my head and let my tears continue to fall. Edward placed his gun on the dresser and sat on the bed beside me. I could tell he didn't know how to respond.

"I'm sorry. I've been holding this in and I can't anymore. It hurts too much."

"It's okay. You need to let this out."

"You don't have to stay in here. I'll be okay."

I expected Edward to get up from the bed and leave. Instead, he leaned back into the pillows and looked at me with a sweet and understanding smile.

"It's my job to protect you. And I may not be able to take the hurt away, but I can listen."

"You would do that?"

"Of course. What ever you feel comfortable talking about. Even if you just want to sit here and cry and just want somebody with you, I'll do that. I may not know what to do, but I can try."

My intake of breath was stuttered and I clasped my hands together in my lap. I blinked the new tears out of my eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Edward stalling in putting his arm around me. I had to look utterly pitiful.

"I'm sorry, Miss Swan. I'm not too good at this comforting thing, but I am a good listener."

"That's fine. It's actually nice to have someone here. And can you please call me Bella?"

"I can do that."

I wanted to talk. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit something. But instead, I just cried. I let myself feel powerless and vulnerable and just let it out. Edward gently placed his hand on my back. I looked up at him and gave him an appreciative smile. I knew at any other time, I would have felt like an ass for crying in front of a gorgeous man. But this time, I didn't care.

I woke up, feeling warm and safe. My eyes blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. That's when I realized I wasn't alone. I was nuzzled into Edward's side with his arm around me with his hand clasped on my shoulder. His other hand was laying on top of mine. It took a few seconds to enjoy the feeling of being in his arms before I slowly sat up. Edward felt me move out of his arms and shifted to pull me back to him. I landed on top of his chest and looked up nervously. His eyes opened slowly and he smiled down at me at first. I watched as realization began to spread through his eyes.

"Morning," I said weakly, waiting for his reaction. To my surprise, he didn't pull away.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"Still shitty, but a bit better. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just being there last night."

"I'm glad you felt comfortable enough around me to open up like that."

"I usually don't open up to people. The only people I've ever really opened up to have been Alice and Jess."

"You should consider opening up to more people."

I bit my lower lip and felt a slight blush form on my cheeks. I realized I was still laying on top of him and felt the blush burn brighter.

"I should probably get you off…get off of you!"

I had no idea why in the hell my brain decided that's what should be coming out of my mouth. I was mortified. I pushed myself off of Edward's chest and plopped onto the bed beside him and buried my face in the pillows. The stuffing muffled Edward's laughter and I silently cursed myself. I peeked up from the pillow to see Edward smiling at me.

"I'm so sorry! I have no idea where that came from."

"It's alright. I've heard, hell, I've said worse."

I knew he was just trying to be nice. My face was still burning from embarrassment.

_Note to self, don't talk to anyone ever again. _

I jumped out of the bed and walked over to the dresser and pulled out some clothes to change into.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go try and flush myself down the toilet."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Bella. I know you didn't mean it."

I stopped in my tracks on the way to the bathroom. Turning to Edward, I smiled shyly.

"You're right, I didn't mean it. So we can act like it never happened, right?"

"Right. I'll leave you alone so you can get ready. And please no attempts at flushing yourself done the toilet, I don't know how I would explain that one."

"Okay, for your sake I won't."

I stood in place as I watched Edward get out of my bed and stretch his arms above his head. He was still only wearing his boxers. I tried not to make it obvious that I was staring at him. He was perfectly toned and breath taking. His arms lowered to his side and a streak of black caught my attention. I hadn't noticed the tattoo that covered the upper part of his left arm and ran down his side. How had I missed that?

"See something you like?"

The blush ignited again and I looked down at my feet.

"Sorry, I was just looking at your tattoo. I didn't notice it before."

Edward ran his hand along the design and smiled.

"Yeah, I even forget it's there sometimes. I got it when I was 18. My first attempt at rebellion."

"First attempt?"

"I used to have my nipples pierced."

"Oh," I mustered weakly.

"I took them out when I went to academy. I've heard horror stories of piercing getting ripped out, so I just took them out and never put them back in."

"That's…interesting."

I was trying to force myself to not think of him with pierced nipples. And I was definitely trying to avoid thinking of licking those nipple rings.

"Do you have any?"

"Nipple piercing? God no!"

Edward chuckled, "No, Bella, tattoos."

"Oh, uh, yeah I have a few."

Edward smiled and nodded. The room filled with an awkward silence. A small squeak came from the end of the bed. I peered around the corner and saw Kirby stretching beside his doggie bed. He probably needed to go outside. I put my clothes down on top of the bed and bent down to scratch Kirby's ears.

"Do you need to go outside?"

Kirby's little ears perked up and his tail started to wag frantically.

"I'll take him out so that way you can get ready."

"Thank you."

Edward stood up from the bed and made his way out of the room. He stopped by the dresser and grabbed his gun before leaving the room. I shuffled into the bathroom and showered quickly. I yanked my brush through my hair and washed my face. As I removed the towel from my face, I looked at my reflection and grimaced. My eyes were poofy and red from crying and I could still see the dark circles from my eye liner. I dug through my cosmetic bag and prayed that my make up remover was in it. To my relief the small clear bottle was at the bottom of the bag. I took a few minutes to put a little bit of make up on before getting dressed a walking out into the living room.

I had expected Edward to be in the living room, but it was empty. I walked to his room and peeked inside, it was also empty. I felt a slight wave of panic take over. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the counter. Fear of what might have happened to Edward slowly crept into my mind.

I felt a breeze brush against my skin. Turning to face the patio, I saw the door was open. I approached slowly, clutching the knife firmly in my hand. I got to the door and slammed into a a solid wall of muscle. A shocked gasp left my lips and the knife slipped out of my fingers, making a loud clang as it hit the tile floor. I looked up into Edward's green eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

"Jesus, you scared me! I thought something happened to you."

"Bella, let me ask you something. What good is a knife if you just drop it when you come into contact with someone?"

"I panicked. I wasn't expecting to walk into you."

"That doesn't matter. Do you think that if someone is after you, they are going to announce their location to you?"

"Well, no. But I've never been in this situation before."

"Have you ever heard of fight or flight?"

"Yes."

"It's a basic instinct. But you have to decide which one you're going to do. Standing in one place and being petrified isn't helpful to your survival."

"Noted."

I bent down and picked up the knife. I felt like an ass for reacting the way I had. I placed it back on the counter and braced my arms on the edge. I don't know how I manage to always make myself look like a jackass, but I do. I turned back to face Edward. He was now wearing a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt. I preferred his clothing off, but he still looked like a God.

"I am glad that you thought to grab it, Bella. A lot of people don't think of those things."

"Are you just trying to make me feel better again?"

"Maybe, but it is true."

"Thanks. Maybe I should take some self defense classes. I won't always have the luxury of having butcher knives at my disposal."

"I was actually going to bring that up to you. I could teach you or we could take you somewhere. Which one do you feel more comfortable with?"

I weighed the options in my head for about three seconds before making up my mind.

"I would rather you teach me. I mean, after all, I don't really feel comfortable leaving a lot. And I would have more time here with you than I would going somewhere else."

I tried to gage his reaction. He just pursed his lips and nodded. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"We can start today."

"Yeah! I mean, sure, that would be great."

I kicked myself for sounding so desperate. The scratching of little paws distracted me from my pathetic reaction to Edward. Kirby came prancing into the kitchen and stopped at my feet. His fuzzy little face looking up at me sweetly. I picked him up and scratched his ears.

"He has to be one of the most affectionate dogs I've ever seen. Has he always been like that?"

"Yes. When Jess got him, it was love at first sight. As soon as she had him in her arms, he nuzzled up to her neck and fell asleep. That's how she knew he was meant to be her fur child."

Kirby had nuzzled into my chest and let out a contented sigh.

"So, do you want to start now or wait until later?"

"Now is good," I practically yelled it at him with my excitement.

_Smooth. _

I cleared my throat and gave a slight smile, "I mean, if you have time to start now."

I smiled at my quick cover, but I could still see that he was holding back a laugh. So I was officially needy, great.

"There should be some mats that we can train on, I'll go get those if you want to change into something you can move better in."

I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt and then back up to him.

"Trust me, Bella, you'll want to be wearing something you can freely move in. Once you are more aware of your movement, we'll start training in street clothes."

I put Kirby back down on the ground and he ran straight to his squeaky toy. I walked into my room and hoped that whom ever packed my things remembered to pack some work out clothing. After digging through three dresser drawers, I located my yoga pants. I changed quickly and glanced at the mirror. I smoothed my hair back and sighed. Getting personal self defense training from Edward was going to be interesting. I walked out into the living room and was greeted with a shirtless Edward, pushing the furniture towards the walls.

_Very interesting, indeed._

**A/N: Woot! So I will be escaping to Wyoming for a few days and I will be away from my computer. But seeing as how you have all gotten so used to me taking forever to update, it shouldn't be any different. I will be taking that time to figure out where I want to take this story next. Thank you all for you continued support! You are all amazing! ^_^ **hugs****


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, or even a portion of it, I would be living in the Italian countryside in a mansion. But I don't, so I live in Arizona in a 3 bedroom house. **

**Author's Note: I am back from my sabbatical in Wyoming. It was nice to have a few weeks with my friends and to play on my old stomping grounds. But I am glad to be back in AZ and back to my computer. Thank you for all of the reviews of the last chapter, you all keep me going. And last but not least, my always splendid beta, Oceanwaters2006! I couldn't do this with out your awesomeness! And this chapter is for all of you that were wanting an Edward POV. You know I'll do anything to make y'all happy.**

**Chapter playlist: Secrets by OneRepublic, People Are People by Dope, Epic by Tupelo Honey, Freeze by Hourcast, 23 Days by Framing Hanley, Over The Line by Revelation Theory(one of my faves), Take My Picture by Filter**

**Chapter 6 (EPOV)-**

I slowed the car to a stop in front of the safe house. It looked like every other house on the block. Most people might not like the cookie cutter look of the neighborhood, but I welcomed it.

"Well, Miss Swan, this is our new home."

She looked at the window with a sad look on her face.

"Goody."

We both got out of the car and made our way up to the house. After unlocking the door, I pulled my gun out of the holster and walked into the huge living room. I looked around before turning back to Bella.

"Wait right here, I'm going to go clear the rest of the house."

I saw a slight glint of fear flash through her eyes. I felt a pang of sorrow in my gut for her. In only a few hours, her life had changed completely. I turned away from her and made my way through the house. After clearing the house, I made my way back to the living room.

"It's all clear."

I watched as Bella walked further into the room and looked around.

"Does somebody live here?"

"No, this is one of the emergency houses that we have set aside for cases like this."

"So what's with all of the books and movies?"

"We have to have something to keep us entertained. As of now, there really won't be much going out."

"What about my job? I can't just stop showing up."

"We already called your boss and explained the situation. She's very understanding and said that she would hold your job for you until you got back."

"Wow. So I'm really a shut in now?"

"Pretty much. Your room is this one right here. One of our agents stopped by your apartment to pick up things that you would need."

Bella walked into her room and closed the door behind her. I stood in the same place and just watched the door for several minutes. This assignment was definitely going to be a challenge. I had never protected a younger woman before. It had always been politicians or their wives, and mafia witnesses that were going to testify. Never had it been a beautiful young woman that looked like an angel. I turned from the door and went into the room that I had picked out. I left my door open so I could hear everything in the house. I dug through my bag and pulled out my book and my clothes for tomorrow and set them out on the bench at the foot of the bed. I was completely wound up.

I pulled my jeans and shirt off and climbed under the covers and stared at the ceiling. I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. I had to clear my head and stop thinking with my dick. Bella was gorgeous, but I wouldn't be any good to her if I was thinking of anything other than protecting her. I needed a distraction. I grabbed my book and hoped that it would do the trick.

2 hours and half of a novel later, my head was finally cleared. I turned and looked at the clock. It was three in the morning. I needed to get some sleep. I put my book on the nightstand and reached to turn off my lamp. The darkness filled the room and I leaned back into the soft mattress. My eyes were almost closed when I heard Bella screaming. I shot out of my bed, grabbed my gun off of the bench, and ran down the hallway. I tried the door handle but it was locked. I stood back and kicked the door. It flew open and slammed up against the wall.

I looked around the room and it was empty. Bella sat on the bed and stared at me. Her eyes were filled with tears. I was suddenly aware that I was only wearing my boxers.

"Sorry, Miss Swan. I heard you screaming."

"I was just having a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay, Miss Swan. It's part of the job. Are you okay?"

Bella looked down and I could see that she was starting to shake. Her shoulders started to move with her sobs. I placed my gun down on the dresser and walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it.

"I'm sorry. I've been holding this in and I can't anymore. It hurts too much."

"It's okay. You need to let this out."

"You don't have to stay in here. I'll be okay."

I knew that I should get up and leave her to cry, but I just couldn't. I leaned back into the pillows and smiled at her.

"It's my job to protect you. And I may not be able to take the hurt away, but I can listen."

"You would do that?"

"Of course. What ever you feel comfortable talking about. Even if you just want to sit here and cry and just want somebody with you, I'll do that. I may not know what to do, but I can try."

Bella just let the tears fall. I went to put my arm around her and stopped. I wasn't sure if that was allowed. But I couldn't sit here and do nothing. It was against the knight in shining armor code.

"I'm sorry, Miss Swan. I'm not too good at this comforting thing, but I am a good listener."

"That's fine. It's actually nice to have someone here. And can you please call me Bella?"

I inwardly smiled. She was starting to open up to me.

"I can do that."

I placed my arm around Bella and just let her cry. It may not have been much to do on my part, but she needed to get it out. I remember leaning back to allow us to get more comfortable and then it goes blank.

I was surrounded by the scent of flowers. I inhaled deeply and felt someone moving by my side. I inwardly smiled and feel the body next to me moving away. Not wanting the feeling to end, I move my arm and pull the warm body down to me. My brain starts brain starts to wake up and I'm beginning to remember where I am. I slowly open my eyes and I'm met with the most beautiful pair of deep chocolate brown eyes. The realization of the situation started to hit me.

"Morning."

Bella's voice sounds rough from sleep and sobbing.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"Still shitty, but a bit better. Thank you."

Her words don't make much sense. She's going through a traumatic event and I'm practically man handling her.

"For what?"

"Just being there last night."

_Oh, that._

"I'm glad you felt comfortable enough around me to open up like that."

"I usually don't open up to people. The only people I've ever really opened up to have been Alice and Jess."

"You should consider opening up to more people."

Bella starts biting her lower lip and I notice a light pink blush spread across her cheeks. She looked down at my chest and smiled.

"I should probably get you off…get off of you!"

It took me a second to register what Bella had just said. As the words went through my brain, Bella rolled off of me and buried her face in the pillow. Finally realizing what she had said, I couldn't help but laugh. Bella peeked up from the pillow, her face beet red.

"I'm so sorry! I have no idea where that came from."

"It's alright. I've heard, hell, I've said worse."

I knew she could tell I was just trying to make her feel better. Before I could say anything else, Bella was out of the bed and by the dresser, digging out clothes. She started walking towards the bathroom and wouldn't look at me.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go try and flush myself down the toilet."

"Don't be so melodramatic, Bella. I know you didn't mean it."

Bella stopped in her tracks and looked me square in the eyes. I could have sworn I saw a flash of something there.

"You're right, I didn't mean it. So we can act like it never happened, right?"

"Right. I'll leave you alone so you can get ready. And please no attempts at flushing yourself done the toilet, I don't know how I would explain that one."

"Okay, for your sake I won't."

I smiled at Bella and climbed out of the overstuffed bed. I lifted my arms and tried to stretch the sleep out of my body. When I looked back at Bella, I noticed she was staring at my tattoo.

"See something you like?"

Bella quickly looks away and turns bright red again.

"Sorry, I was just looking at your tattoo. I didn't notice it before."

Her voice was barely audible. I ran my hand along my side and traced the design with my fingers.

"Yeah, I even forget it's there sometimes. I got it when I was 18. My first attempt at rebellion."

"First attempt?"

"I used to have my nipples pierced."

"Oh."

And the blush got deeper.

"I took them out when I went to academy. I've heard horror stories of piercings getting ripped out, so I just took them out and never put them back in."

"That's…interesting."

_Uh oh. Did I over share? That was probably something she didn't need to know about me. Well, at least not yet. Say something else!_

"Do you have any?"

"Nipple piercings? God, no!"

I laughed at her bluntness. And then I got the most interesting mental image.

"No, Bella, tattoos."

"Oh, uh, yeah I have a few."

I smile and nod. The silence and tension suddenly fills the room. I'm wishing I had a buffer right now. A small squeak pulls my attention towards the foot of the bed. Kirby is stretching and looking back and forth between Bella and I. Bella squats down and scratches his tiny ears.

"Do you need to go outside?"

Kirby's little ears perked up and his tail started to wag frantically.

"I'll take him out so that way you can get ready."

"Thank you."

I grab my gun from the dresser and leave the room with Kirby following close behind. I open the patio door and let Kirby frolic around and do his business while I went back to my room and grabbed my clothes, changing quickly. As I walked towards the patio door, I heard plastic rustling. When I round the corner into the kitchen, I see Kirby digging through the bag that contained his things.

"Kirby, what are you doing?"

His tiny head pops up from the bag and turns to look at me. He's holding a small tennis ball in his mouth. I just stare at him for a second. This has got to be one of the strangest and smartest dogs I've ever been around.

"Do you want to play?"

Kirby's feet click against the tile floor as his tail wags quickly.

"Alright, come on."

I lead the small dog outside and feel the tiny ball drop on top of my foot. I bend down, pick it up, and toss it into the giant backyard. Kirby takes off after it like a furry tri-colored bolt of lightening. He returns just as quickly with the ball and drops it at my feet again. We repeat this pattern until Kirby drops at my feet, panting to catch his breath.

"Let go back inside."

I walk back into the house and walk right into Bella. She lets out a gasp and I hear something clang to the floor. I look down and see a butcher knife on the floor. I look back at Bella and I can see the fear leave her eyes.

"Jesus, you scared me! I thought something happened to you."

I tried not to smile at her admission. Instead, I focused on what had just happened.

"Bella, let me ask you something. What good is a knife if you just drop it when you come into contact with someone?"

"I panicked. I wasn't expecting to walk into you."

"That doesn't matter. Do you think that if someone is after you, they are going to announce their location to you?"

"Well, no. But I've never been in this situation before."

"Have you ever heard of fight or flight?"

"Yes."

"It's a basic instinct. But you have to decide which one you're going to do. Standing in one place and being petrified isn't helpful to your survival."

"Noted."

Bella bent down and picked up the knife. She placed it back on the counter and turned back to face me. I could see the blush begin to form on her face. I had to try and make her feel a little bit better about the situation.

"I am glad that you thought to grab it, Bella. A lot of people don't think of those things."

"Are you just trying to make me feel better again?"

"Maybe, but it is true."

"Thanks. Maybe I should take some self defense classes. I won't always have the luxury of having butcher knives at my disposal."

"I was actually going to bring that up to you. I could teach you or we could take you somewhere. Which one do you feel more comfortable with?"

Bella answered me almost immediately.

"I would rather you teach me. I mean, after all, I don't really feel comfortable leaving a lot. And I would have more time here with you than I would going somewhere else."

I fought the urge to do a happy dance. I had to bite my lips to keep from smiling. I nodded slowly and crossed my arms.

"We can start today."

"Yeah! I mean, sure, that would be great."

I had to bite my lips again. It took everything I had to maintain my composure. Kirby pranced into the kitchen and stopped at Bella's feet. She bent to pick him up and scratched his ears. He nuzzled into her hand and let out an appreciative sigh.

"He has to be one of the most affectionate dogs I've ever seen. Has he always been like that?"

"Yes. When Jess got him, it was love at first sight. As soon as she had him in her arms, he nuzzled up to her neck and fell asleep. That's how she knew he was meant to be her fur child."

I looked at the small dog and smiled.

_Okay, enough of this. Back to the fun stuff._

"So, do you want to start now or wait until later?"

"Now is good." Bella cleared her throat and smiled, "I mean, if you have time to start now."

This was really starting to work out in my favor. And I liked it.

"There should be some mats that we can train on, I'll go get those if you want to change into something you can move better in."

Bella looked down at her clothes and back up to me. She looked gorgeous just how she was, but I knew that it would be hard for her to grasp the full range of movement if she was limited by street clothes.

"Trust me, Bella, you'll want to be wearing something you can freely move in. Once you are more aware of your movement, we'll start training in street clothes."

Bella nodded and went back into her room. I went into the spare room and started pulling the mats into the living room. I pulled my shirt off over my head and threw it onto the couch. I started pushing the furniture out of the way. I suddenly felt eyes on me. I looked up and saw Bella standing in the door way. She was wearing tight black yoga pants and an even tighter maroon tank top.

_This is my job. Just breathe. Remember, she's just a job…who the hell am I kidding?_

**A/N: FINALLY! AN UPDATE! Holy monkey balls! I know, I hardly ever do EPOV, but I felt that we should catch up and get to know what Mr. Cullen is thinking about. Thank you for being so wonderful and lovely. You're all amazing and I love you so. Please let me know if you liked it, loved it, or hated it. **hugs and backrubs from Agent Cullen****


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Twilight. But give me a 9 iron, some peanut butter, and some rope, and that's a totally different scenario. **

**A/N: Can it be? Another chapter? But there was one just a few days ago. This can't be!**

**Why, yes it is! It is indeed another chapter! I don't want to tempt fate or anything, but I think there has been a crack in the writer's block. AND I'M FREAKING ECSTATIC! Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, I love you all and you all make me smile and feel warm and gooey inside. I'm like a giant Cadbury Crème Egg. Awesome. And a super special thank you to my amazing beta, oceanwaters2006, whom had to put in extra work on the last chapter that she didn't have to do. But she did it anyways because she's amazing. Now, go forth my lovelies, and enjoy!**

**Longest chapter play list ever!: **Mind Control by Tantric, The Slightest Trace by Epidemic, Battle-Axe by Deftones, Love Is Dead by Kerli, Circle by Flyleaf, Waves and the Both Of Us by Charlotte Sometimes, Answers by Submersed, Lies by The Pierces, Needs by Collective Soul, Bitemarks and Bloodstains by Finch, Enjoy the Silence by Lacuna Coil

Chapter 7-

I stood in the doorway of my room and just watched Edward as he moved the mats around on the floor. He must have felt my eyes on him because he looked directly at me and smiled.

"Are you ready to get started?"

I nodded my head and waited for the butterflies to stop moving in my stomach. Slowly, I made my way into the living room. Edward stood in front of me and smiled.

"So, do you have any prior knowledge of self defense?"

"A little, but not enough to keep me alive."

"Okay, what do you know?"

I pursed my lips and thought for a second.

"I know how to run."

Edward's musical laughter filled the room and I thanked God that I had a good sense of humor. I planned on using it to hear that beautiful laugh over and over again.

"Well that's good. But I was talking more along the lines of physically going toe to toe with someone. What do know?"

"I've been told I have a good right hook."

"Show me."

"Excuse me?"

"Show me. I want to know for sure."

"You want me to hit you?"

"I want you to try to."

For some reason, that comment didn't sit well with me.

"And what do you mean by try to? You think I can't do it?"

"I'm not saying you can't, I just think it'll be hard for you."

My inner feminist stood up to protest. Who in the hell did this guy think he was? Someone had to put him in his place, and that someone might as well be me. I took a step back and swung my arm at Edward. He quickly side stepped, grabbed my shoulder and pushed me to the floor. I landed on the mats with a thud. I picked myself up off of the floor and glared at Edward. He had a smug smile across his face.

"You look very pleased with yourself."

"I just like to be right."

"You're kind of an ass, aren't you?"

"Sometimes."

"So is this when you turn into Mr. Miyagi?"

Edward's mega watt smile lit up his face. I internally sighed.

"Try it again."

I positioned myself into a fighting stance. I swung my arm at Edward again, but this time I didn't put all of my weight into it. Edward easily dodged my arm again. He was so focused on moving out of the way of my right arm that he didn't see my left arm coming towards his chest. I threw my weight into my left arm and connected it with Edward's chest. Edward was caught off guard and began to fall backwards, grabbing onto my arm as he did so.

Edward crashed to the floor and I landed on top of him. I heard the air rush out of his lungs when my weight pushed down on him. His face was a bright red and his eyes were huge. I clambered off of him and got back onto my feet. Edward didn't move from the floor.

"I'm so sorry! Edward, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just give me a second."

"We could always wait until later to do this."

Edward sat up and placed his hands on the floor behind him. He worked on steadying his breathing as I looked him over.

"It's okay, Bella. I'm fine."

"Really? Because you look like shit."

Edward shot a glare in my direction before getting up from the floor.

"I think we're just going to go directly into teaching you the maneuvers. I think you proved you can free ball it."

"I said I was sorry."

I crossed my arms and strategically placed them under my cleavage. I was more than aware of how low cut my tank top was. I noticed Edward's eyes gaze lower and then quickly looking away. I fought to keep the smile from my face. I couldn't let him know I was playing with him. Edward cleared his throat and looked into my eyes.

"Let's just start with the basics, like not killing me."

"You are such a baby. I barely even touched you."

"You landed on top of me! After doing an underhanded move, nonetheless."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had to fight fair when my life was in danger. Next time I'll remember to brush up on the rules."

"That's not what I meant. You can do that when you're in actual danger, but this is just training. So please, have mercy on me."

"Fine, but you're a pansy."

"Really?"

"You're the one begging for mercy, thus pansy."

Edward stepped closer to me, maintaining contact the whole time.

"You really think I'm a pansy?"

"Yes," my voice came out a bit softer than usual.

"That's very interesting."

Edward stepped closer to me, but I refused to budge. He was now only a foot away from me.

"I know what you're trying to do."

"Do you now? And what exactly is it that I'm trying to do?"

Edward took another step.

"You're trying to intimidate me and it's not working."

"I think it is. You're breathing faster and your pupils are dilating."

"That doesn't mean anything. Pupils dilate for other reasons."

"Well the light hasn't changed. And one of the only other reasons I can think of is if you see something you want."

I swallowed uneasily, but I stood my ground for just a few seconds until Edward swept his leg behind mine and knocked me to my back. The mat squished under my weight. I stayed on the ground and stared up at the ceiling. There was a sudden squeaking noise in my ear. I rolled my head to the side and saw Kirby standing by the mat, staring at me contentedly with a chew toy in his mouth. I looked back up at the ceiling and let out a groan. Edward's green eyes came into view.

"Are you going to get up or should I grab you a blanket?"

"You suck."

I slowly rolled into a sitting position. Edward offered his hand to help me up. I happily took it.

"That was low, Mr. Cullen, very low."

"You questioned my manhood. I go to a dark place when people question my manhood."

"I'll remember that for the next time."

I stood in the kitchen and watched as Edward moved the furniture back into place. His muscles rippled under his skin and I could feel my heart rate pick up. My thoughts wandered back to earlier this morning when I woke up with those arms around me. I felt so safe and at home in his arms. My thoughts quickly returned when I realized I was blatantly staring at Edward. I looked away and went back to cutting up vegetables for lunch. My arms were already starting to hurt. I knew I was going to be sore for a few days. I was used to falling on my ass, just not that many times in a row.

"You should take some ibuprofen. It will help with any swelling."

"Yeah, I'm accident prone and therefore know very well the benefits of ibuprofen. I'm pretty sure I'm single handedly keeping Tylenol in business."

"Well after today, I think it's a tie between the two of us."

My phone started ringing before I could say anything witty or charming or something that I would probably embarrass myself with. The caller ID flashed and I smiled when I saw that it was Alice.

"Hey! How are you?"

"_You're Agent McHottie Pants screwed me!"_

"What are you talking about?"

"_It's so not fair! You get a total hottie and I get a chick! I mean, yeah, she's really pretty and if I were really drunk, but that's another story. How did you get the hot guy? I think I'm going to write a letter."_

"I don't think they take requests, Alice. I think it's just whom ever is available."

"_Can I just come bunk with you? I just want something hot to look at."_

"Then go online and look up pictures of Ryan Reynolds. You'll survive. You've gotten by without live in eye candy before and you can do it again."

Alice let out an exasperated groan.

"_Fine. So how are you doing?"_

"Okay, I guess. I don't think it's actually hit, you know? I just keep thinking that I'm going to wake up and everything will be back to how it was."

"_Me too. There's another reason why I called, Bella."_

"What is it?"

"_I talked to Jessica's parents. They've already planned her funeral."_

I suddenly felt sick.

"Did they tell you when they are doing it?"

"_They are planning on Thursday."_

"Thursday? But that's three days away."

"_I guess Jessica made them have plans incase anything happened. You know how Jess was."_

Was. She was past tense now.

"Yeah. She would always say a good girl scout is always prepared."

The line went silent.

"_I miss her, B."_

"I do too."

"_Okay, I'm gonna go. I'll call you if I hear anything else from her parents. I love you."_

"I love you too. And Alice?"

"_Yeah?"_

"Stay away from the booze. I don't know if your body guard would appreciate you coming on to her."

Alice let out a little giggle.

"_I have to entertain myself somehow."_

"Just try to behave."

"_I make no promises."_

"Bye."

"_Bye, Bells."_

I closed my phone it placed it on the counter. I hadn't even thought about Jess' funeral. I had gotten to the point that I was just trying to keep myself in self preservation mode.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

"Um, yeah, why?"

"Because you look very pale."

"It's just that Alice told me that Jess' parents already have her funeral set for Thursday."

"Yeah, that seems about right."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's just that she was a cop. Most cops have plans set already. Funeral home, casket, flowers, grave plots, everything."

"I guess I'm still in shock. It doesn't even feel like she's gone and her funeral is already set. It's just a lot to take in."

"I know. I'll make a few calls to make preparations so you can go, safely."

I nodded and moved away from the counter.

"I'm not really hungry anymore. I think I'm going to just go sit outside for a little bit."

Edward gave me a concerned look.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything."

I mustered as much of a smile as I could and walked outside. Kirby's collar jingled as he ran out the door after me. I looked around the backyard and took it all in. It was incased by a huge brick wall, blocking out the view of other houses. There was a hot tub and pool fenced into the corner of the yard and gorgeous landscaping through out. The patio had overstuffed furniture and a fire pit. I walked over to the chaise that was nestled in the shade and sat down with no amount of grace. Kirby jumped up beside me and looked at me with sad eyes. It was almost like he knew I was upset. I scratched behind his ears and he climbed into my lap. I smiled when I thought back to when Jess first got him.

~April 2009~

"Bella! Come here! You have got to see this!"

I looked around at the shoppers that were glaring at both Jess and I. I loved Jess, but she really needed to work on her indoor voice. I made my way through the pet store and saw Jess holding a tiny ball of fur to her shoulder.

"What is that?"

"He's a morkie. Isn't he precious? I just picked him up and he fell right to sleep."

The tiny puppy was nestled into Jess' hair. I scratched one of the small tri-colored spots on his back and his little head popped out from Jess' hair. He was adorable. His big brown eyes looked into mine before he yawned and burrowed back into her hair.

"He's so cute. Are you going to get him?"

"I have to. He's the perfect fur child. And he won't get very big."

"Can I hold him?"

"Of course. He's going to be your fur godchild, so you better get along."

I took the small ball of fluff out of Jess' hands and looked into his sweet little face. He looked me over before he decided he liked me and licked the tip of my nose.

"Aw, I think he likes you."

"So what are you going to name him?"

"Kirby."

"Kirby? Where did you pull that out of?"

"Kirby, like the vacuums."

"How does that even apply?"

"He low to the ground, like a vacuum."

"I can see how you made the connection."

"I'm pretty clever."

"After all of these years, I've noticed."

I handed Kirby back over to Jess and she made her way happily through the store, holding on to her new fur child.

Kirby looked up at me with those same glassy eyes.

"I know, I miss her too."

I stared out into the yard and leaned back in the chair. All of the sounds of modern suburbia filled my ears. The kids playing, lawn mowers whirring, and cars buzzing by. It all seemed so surreal. A small group of people were trying to cope with the loss of a loved one, while the rest of the world went on with out a clue. Their world was still the same, but mine had changed completely.

I felt the tears start to build again. My resolve was slipping. The patio door slid open and Edward walked towards me holding a bottle of water in each hand. He stopped a few feet from me and held one of the water bottles out to me. I took it from his hand and smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

"Are you okay?"

I pursed my lips together and nodded, avoiding looking into his eyes.

"Bella, it's okay to cry if you want to. You don't have to hold it in. And if you need to be alone, just say the word and I'll go back inside."

"No, it's okay. I actually don't mind. You offer a distraction from thinking of what's going on."

Edward ran a hand through his hair. I tried not to notice that it glistened in the sunlight.

"I don't mean to sound harsh when I say this, so please forgive me if that's how it comes across. But, you're going to have to deal with this eventually. You can't keep distracting yourself and hope that that will fix it."

"I know. But can I just pretend for a little while longer? It would be nice to hold on to her for as long as I can."

Edward sat in the chair beside mine and said nothing. We sat and listened to the world outside of the brick wall go on, completely unfazed.

**A/N: And y'all thought I was going to have Jasper assigned to Alice. Bet you weren't expecting that. ^_^ And I know that the self defense part probably wasn't what you were all hoping for, but that will come later. How else am I supposed to keep you all reading if I don't tempt you with things? Another question was answered as to what type of dog Kirby is. I had always envisioned him as a Morkie because they are flippin adorable! So, another chapter down. The next one is already brewing in my head. Leave me some lovin' and do yourselves a favor and go to iTunes to check out those songs on the play list. There are some really good ones in there this time ^_^ I LOVE YOU ALL!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. But you can sign my petition that I should become part owner. I'll convince SM to do a re-write and do some actual lemons.**

**A/N: So, some of you might want to have a Kleenex on hand, just in case. This is the funeral chapter, so you know I'm bringing the heart break. Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter! I really need to get better at responding to all of you. Just know I adore you all. And as always, THANK YOU TO MY OUTSTANDING BETA, OCEANWATERS2006! She's the best beta, ever! 'Nuff said ^_^**

**Chapter Playlist: Life Left To Go by SafetySuit, Sorrow by Flyleaf, I'll Keep Your Memory Vague by Finger Eleven, We Are Broken by Paramore, Waste by Seether, Everything Changes by Staind, You Fight Me by Breaking Benjamin, Save Me by Royal Bliss, Over Now by Submersed,**

**Chapter 8-**

_Call your name everyday when I feel so helpless_

_I'm fallen down but I'll rise above this, rise above thi__s_

_Forty eight ways to say that I'm feeling helpless_

_I'm falling down, and I'll rise above this_

_Rise above this_

_Rise above this_

_Rise above this doubt._

_**-Rise Above This by Seether**_

The sky was a dark grey and the clouds looked full of rain. I turned away from the window and glared at my clock. It was nine in the morning. In a matter of three hours, I would be saying goodbye to one of my best friends. I had spent the last three days in a state of shock. I barely ate or moved for that matter. Edward tried his best to cheer me up, but nothing helped.

My black dress was strewn across the bed, a dark banner serving as another reminder of what today held. A soft knock on the door pulled my attention away from the dress.

"Come in."

Edward poked his head in to my room and I forced a smile to my face. Even his beautiful face wasn't enough to cheer me up.

"Hey, I wanted to see how you were doing."

"All things considered, just peachy."

Edward walked in to my room and stopped just in front of me. He looked at me with only concern. He slowly reached his hand out and placed it on my shoulder. I looked at his hand and placed my hand on top of it.

"Whatever you need, just let me know. And if at any point, it becomes too much, just signal to me and I'll get you out of there."

"Thank you. You really don't have to do all of this. I'm sure it's not part of your job description."

"It might not be, but it's what a gentleman does."

"I appreciate it. Really."

"Anytime. You might want to start getting ready. We need to leave in about 90 minutes. We're going to stop and pick up Alice and Agent Hale. I think you need some extra time with Alice right now."

I wrapped my arms around Edward's neck and hugged him tightly. His arms slowly went around my waist and returned the hug.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. And Bella, if anyone asks, I'm your boyfriend. We can't really tell people that you're being protected."

I pulled back and smiled for the first time in days. Edward ran his hands through his hair and looked a little uncomfortable. He suddenly gestured to the door.

"I made some breakfast. You should really eat something. You haven't been eating and it's part of my job to keep you safe and healthy. So please, get dressed and come get something to eat."

"Fine. Just give me a second to change and I'll be right out."

Edward left the room and closed the door behind him. I turned back to the black dress on the bed. I made myself pick it up from the bed and change. I went into the bathroom and put my hair back in a low chignon. A few loose tendrils fell into my face. I didn't bother sweeping them out of the way. I stared at my reflection and took a deep breath.

"Just breathe."

I turned the light off and went out to the kitchen. Edward stood over the stove with a spatula in hand, and he was carefully looking over a pan of eggs and green peppers. He looked up when he heard my shuffling across the floor.

"I really hope you aren't a vegetarian. There's sausage in this and I didn't even think to ask."

"No, it's okay. I'm of the carnivorous persuasion."

"Oh good. Because you really need to eat and we're out of eggs now."

"Then it's definitely a good thing I'm not a vegetarian. I can't have you stressing out about our egg supply."

Edward put a few heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto a plate and handed it to me.

"I expect your plate to be clean."

Edward looked at me pointedly. It was eerily close to the look that my dad would give me that warned me to do what he said.

"Yes sir."

I took my plate over to the table and sat down. I looked at the food sitting on my plate and I felt my stomach growl at me. I picked up my fork and forced myself to start eating. Edward sat beside me and started to eat slowly, occasionally looking over at me to make sure I was eating. After I forced the last bite into my mouth I stood from my chair and took my dishes to the sink. Edward was still watching me from the kitchen table.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, I'm just glad that you actually ate something."

I couldn't even come up with something witty to say, so I just smiled at him instead.

"I'm going to go finish getting ready."

I drug my feet across the floor the whole way to my bathroom. I stared at my makeup for a few minutes before I grabbed it and started to go through the motions. Blush, highlight, primer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. I looked at my reflection and let out a sigh. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. I sprayed a little bit of perfume on myself and left the bathroom, walking towards the kitchen. Edward stood by the sink, washing dishes.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

Edward looked at the dish in his hands and back up to me. He looked utterly perplexed.

"I'm doing the dishes. Am I not supposed to?"

"No. You cooked, you are supposed to do the dishes too."

"It's really not a big deal. It's just a pan and two plates. Besides, I'm almost done."

"Fine, I'll dry."

I picked up the towel beside Edward and started drying the dishes. As I was drying the dishes, I saw Edward glancing at me out of the corner of my eye. I finished the last dish and put in on the counter. Edward was still looking at me. I turned abruptly and faced him.

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

"What? I'm not staring."

"You keep looking at me."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare. It's just, you look very nice today."

Edward smiled genuinely at me. My eyes must have grown two sizes. Edward looked away and into the dishwater.

"I'm sorry, that was out of line."

"No, no. It's fine, really. It's nice to hear, actually. I don't really get compliments that often."

"If that's the case, you must hang out with guys that have cataracts."

I averted my eyes and felt the blush spreading through my cheeks.

"Thank you. Um...shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Edward looked at his watch and nodded.

"Yeah, I probably should. Just give me a few minutes and we'll head out."

Edward walked down the hallway and into his room. I went into the living room and sat on the couch. I just sat there and stared at the wall. I liked that Edward was being nice, but I couldn't help but think he was just saying it to distract me from what was happening today. I heard his bedroom door open and I turned to look at him. My breath stopped in my throat. Edward was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and green tie. He was simply gorgeous. As if that wasn't enough, he smiled at me. The smooth bastard.

"Are you ready to go, Bella?"

"Yeah, I just need to get Kirby. It should only take a second, he loves his carrier."

I went by the patio door and sure enough, there was Kirby standing by his carrier, wagging his little tail.

"Come on, little man. It's time to go."

I picked him up and put him in the carrier. I closed the lid and he poked his head out of the small window in the front. I took the carrier to the front door and was met by a smiling Edward.

"That was quick."

"I told you he loves this thing. He would live in it if you let him."

"Are you sure you want to go? If you aren't up to it, just say the word."

I looked away from Kirby and up at Edward. His eyes were filled with concern.

"Yes, I want to go. I need to go."

"Okay, but if you decide at any point that it's too much for you, just let me know. I'll get you out of there."

"Thank you, but I should be okay."

Edward nodded and then we were off.

Edward slowed the car to a stop in front of Alice's building. I looked out the window and saw Alice walking down the stairs with a tall curvy blonde. She wasn't kidding, she was gorgeous. Even wearing a pantsuit, you could see that she had the body of a goddess.

"Wow, that's Alice's bodyguard?"

"Yes. That would be Agent Rosalie Hale. She's one of the best we have."

"In more ways than one, I would say."

I got out of the passenger seat as Alice and Agent Hale reached the car. Alice's face lit up and she threw her arms around me. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed back. I heard her stuttered intake of breath and then I felt a tear hit my bare shoulder. I pulled back at saw a small trail of tears running down her cheek. I reached up smoothed the tears away from her cheek. Neither of us said anything. We slid into the back seat and sat quietly, just holding each other's hand. Kirby whimpered from his carrier in the front seat. I saw Agent Hale look down and smile.

"Who's this little guy?"

"That's Kirby. He used to be Jess', but he's mine now."

Rosalie reached down and scratched his ear. He nuzzled into her hand and let out a contented sigh. He was such and attention whore. I looked back at Alice. She was staring out the window and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. I scooted towards her and put my head on her shoulder. I felt her head lean on top of mine. We still didn't speak, we just looked out the window and watched everything go by.

Edward lined the car up behind the rest of the cars. The clouds had broken open and were beating down on the ground. I looked out the window and saw a sea of black on the green grass. And there it was. A mahogany casket. I watched as it eerily glittered in the sun. I felt the lump in my throat quickly reappear. I opened the door and slowly got out. Edward was at my side before I knew it. I looked up at him and forced a small smile to my face. I put my sunglasses on and took a deep breath. Agent Hale pulled the carrier out of the front seat and handed it to me. I smiled at her, silently thanking her. I knew if I spoke right now, I would break down. I couldn't do that right now. I had to be strong for Alice. I felt Edward put his arm around my shoulders. It felt comforting to have him by my side. Rosalie stood by Alice's side and we all walked towards the group of people.

The first person I saw was Jess' mother. I saw her before she saw me. Her face looked so different. She had always been so regal looking. But now, she looked tired and in pain. I turned to Edward and pulled the carrier off of my shoulder.

"Do you mind holding him for a second? I have to go say hello to someone."

"Yeah sure, I won't be far away through."

"Okay."

I handed the carrier to Edward and walked towards Mrs. Stanley. I pushed my sunglasses on top of my head. She looked away from the small group of people that were talking to her and she made direct eye contact with me. She stood from her chair and walked towards me and met me halfway.

"Hi, Mrs. Stanley."

"Bella, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Janet?"

"Sorry."

We stood in silence for a moment before she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm so happy you're here, Bella. Greg and I were so upset when we heard that they were trying to put this on you. Just know, that you have our support."

"Thank you. I brought Kirby, I hope you don't mind. I just know how much Jess loved him."

Janet looked around and spotted Edward holding the dog carrier. I saw a slow smile spread across her face.

"Of course I don't mind. I just wish I weren't allergic to dogs. It would be nice to have a little piece of her with us still."

Her voice started to crack at the end of her sentence. I felt a small hand slip into mine. I looked over and saw Alice by my side.

"Hello, Mrs. Stanley."

She looked at Alice and smiled.

"Neither of you will ever call me Janet, will you?"

Alice and I both shook our heads. She smiled and hugged Alice just as tightly as she had hugged me.

"I'm so happy you're both here. Bella, I have a question to ask you. But please feel free to say no, but do you think you could say a few words? I was going to, but I don't think I can do it. How do I say goodbye to my baby?"

Tears began to fill her eyes and Alice went to hug her. I stood and watched them holding each other as they cried. I could feel the burn of my sobs in my throat, but I held onto them. I needed to be the strong one.

"I'll do it. You shouldn't have to make a speech today."

Janet held onto Alice and reached one hand to me and I took it, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Janet pulled back from Alice and looked back towards the group of people.

"It's about to start. I should get back up there. I saved some seats for you girls. I'll make sure that your friends can be nearby."

Alice and I smiled at her as she walked towards the group surrounding the casket. We looked at each other and silently went to hold the other's hand. Together, we walked up the small hill and took our seats. Edward and Rosalie were seated directly behind Alice and I. I felt a strong hand on my shoulder and looked back to see Edward's green eyes giving me a reassuring smile. I tried to return it, but I couldn't make my mouth move. I motioned for him to hand the carrier to me. Kirby looked happy to see me as I held the carrier.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a cloaked figure walking towards us. I looked up and saw a small man with gentle eyes smiling at the group. I noticed the white collar against the black shirt. I took a deep breath and looked down. It was about to begin.

"Ladies and gentleman, if you could please take your seats. I'd like to open with a prayer."

Several people, including me, did the sign of the cross. A known gesture from my youth. The priest continued with a prayer. He spoke of hard times, and good times. He told us all that Jess was at peace now. I hadn't realized that I had zoned out until I felt Alice nudging me in the side. I looked at her and around the group when I realized it was my turn to speak. I stood from the small metal chair and walked towards the podium. I looked around at the faces. Some familiar, some not. I cleared my throat and began.

"Hello, everyone. Some of you don't know me. I'm Bella Swan. I was one of Jess' closest friends. Please forgive me if I babble, I didn't have a speech prepared. I met Jess when we were in 8th grade. That was twelve years ago. I was the new kid and she took me under her wing, no questions asked. From that first day, I knew that I had a friend for life. She stood by my side and helped push me to do things I didn't think I had the strength to do. Jess always believed in me more than I did. I remember always wishing I had the confidence that she had. But she always found a way to bring it out of people. Whether it was by pushing you into something or making you believe you could do it on your own, she had a great talent for it."

I paused and looked at the casket. I quickly averted my eyes and looked back down at the podium.

"Jess had a joy for life that was so infectious. Her sheer excitement was more than enough for everyone as a whole. She was someone you could be proud to know. Her heart, her smile, her joy, her laugh…it was impossible not to love her. Words can't express how much she meant to me and how much I'll miss her. I'll always carry her memory with me. And even though she won't be here in person, I know she'll still be by my side, giving me the strength to go on."

I stepped away from the podium and walked back to my seat, avoiding looking at the casket. When I sat down, Alice took my hand and squeezed it. I fought to keep my composure. The rest of the ceremony was a blur. People talking, people crying, it all fused together. The priest stood at the podium again.

"Unto Almighty God we commend the soul of our sister departed, and we commit her body to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. In sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the earth and the sea shall give up their dead and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed, and made like unto his own glorious body. According to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself."

I watched as the casket began to lower. This was it. Alice put her head on my shoulder as she sobbed. I wanted to soothe her, but I couldn't. I stood and watched as the box holding my best friend continued it's decent into the dark hole. It was at that time that it all hit. The realization that I would never see her smile again, hear her laugh, get to hug her again. She was just a ghost now. A single tear broke free and rolled down my cheek. The crowd began to thin. I picked up the carrier and walked to the edge of the open grave. Soon it was just Mr. and Mrs. Stanley standing with Alice and I. The casket had been lowered all the way now. I picked up one of the roses that was on the ground and threw it into the open grave. Alice did the same and we both turned to walk back towards Edward and Rosalie. They both looked concerned. Rosalie wrapped an arm around Alice's waist and let her cry into her shoulder. Edward reached for my hand and I took it, letting him lead me back to the car. As we were walking, I looked back up the small hill and saw Mr. and Mrs. Stanley still standing and holding each other as they cried. I got into the car and watched the same spot as the car drove off.

Edward dropped Alice and Rosalie off at the apartment. I hugged Alice tightly and watched as she walked up the stairs. She gave me a small wave before she entered the building. I sat in the passenger seat and was very thankful that Edward let us drive home in silence

I sat on the couch again in my yoga pants and tank top. I held Kirby and stared at the wall. Edward was in the basement, setting something up. I asked him what it was, but he wouldn't tell me. I heard Edward's foot steps as he walked up the stairs. The door opened and Edward poked his head out.

"Bella, it's ready."

I stood from the couch and walked towards the door. Edward grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs.

"Okay, it isn't much, but I thought you could use it."

I followed Edward's eyes and saw a brand new punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

"That's actually perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I had it delivered this afternoon. Did you want to try it out?"

"Actually yeah. It would be nice to let some stress out."

"I'll hold the bag for you."

Edward stood behind the bag and held each side of it.

"Do your worst. I can handle it."

I just rolled my eyes and stared at the bag for a second. I was still feeling catatonic from the funeral. I couldn't stop thinking about Jess. I pulled my arm back and swung at the bag. Edward stabilized it and held it in place. I threw my other arm at the bag. As soon as my fist connected with it, I swung my other arm again. It felt great to hit something. I kept punching the bag, and I got lost in the motion. I thought of Jess, her parents crying as they buried their little girl, Alice clinging to me as she sobbed, Jess' body swinging from the rafters of her apartment. I could feel something snap inside of me as I kept punching at the bag. My knuckles were starting to hurt, but I kept going. I saw streaks of red start to form on the white surface. I didn't care, the pain was a reminder that I was still alive. The bag started to swing more freely and then I felt Edward's arms circle around my waist and pull my back from the bag.

Edward held my arms to my side as I struggled to get away from him.

"Bella! You need to stop! You're bleeding!"

"Let go of me! Get your fucking hands off of me!"

Edward let go me and stared at me in shock. I stood in one spot and fought to calm my breathing. I looked down at my hands and saw the blood oozing out of my knuckles. And for some reason I can't explain, I broke. The hurt that I was holding onto rushed out of me as my shoulders started shaking from the building sobs. The tears fell freely from my eyes and I crumpled to my knees. Edward rushed to my side and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Bella?"

"I can't do this. How am I supposed to live my life without her by my side? She was always there for me, and the one time she asks for my help, I let her down. She was practically begging me to save her and I did nothing! And then I lost the only proof to prove who actually killed her. They took away my best friend and now I just feel so alone. I could have saved her. I could have stopped them and I didn't. Instead I didn't believe her until it was too late."

"Bella, this isn't your fault."

"Yes it is! I might as well have handed the fuckers the rope. I did nothing to stop it. And because of that, Jess is gone and she's never coming back. My actions took her away from everyone that cared about her. How can I live with myself? I'm a horrible person and I'm a horrible friend."

The tears and sobs were coming freely. I couldn't stop them and I didn't want them to. Edward said nothing. He just let me cry.

_Will you carry me down the aisle that final day_

_With your tears and cold hands shaking from the weigh__t_

_When you lower me down beneath that sky of gray_

_Let the rain fall down and wash away your pain_

_For every word we never spoke_

_We have a tear to cr__y_

_For every silence like a wall between a better you and I_

_So if you see me losing sight_

_Of all the death in life_

_You'll find the peace in every time I failed to see the death in mine_

_**-Carry Me Down by Demon Hunter**_

**A/N: *le sigh* I was looking forward to writing this chapter and not at the same time. It was important to write because Bella needed to have some closure and to get all of the hurt out. But I was actually crying while writing this. I've been all sorts of emo about writing this chapter. Atleast now we can move forward and rebuild. *woot* Leave me some lovins!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Twilight is SM's, but this story is mine ^_^**

**A/N: So this one isn't a tear jerker, I thought I should give all of you a break. Thank you for the great reviews! You ladies (and guys?) are the best. Thank you to my fabulous awesome and super fly beta, oceanwaters2006. You're the best beta, EVER! **

****You can now find a link to a playlist player on my profile. Each chapter has one, well except for chapter one****

**Playlist: Topless by Breaking Benjamin, Moana by Deftones, Six Letters Sent by Janus, Rebel Yell by Dope, Bulletproof by Kerli, Down by Earshot, A Little Faster by There For Tomorrow, Over Now by Submersed, Ugly by Sevendust, Last Kiss Goodbye by Hinder**

**Chapter 9-**

I sobbed until my throat felt raw. My eyes were burning from my tears and my knuckles were starting to throb. But I didn't care about any of it. I could feel the hurt seeping from my body. Edward didn't say anything. He was just, there. And that was all I needed from him right now. I just wanted him there. He stayed there with me until me sobs subsided and my tears were gone.

I wasn't sure how much time had gone by. It felt like I had been crying for hours. I rubbed the remaining tears away from my eyes and looked up at Edward. I almost expected him to look at me with disgust, but there was none to be found. He looked at me with compassion and concern. His hand reached out and brushed a stray tear away off of my cheek. His hand traveled down to my shoulder and stayed there.

"I know this is a dumb question, but are you okay?"

I didn't know how to answer that. I truly didn't know if I was.

"I feel better."

A small smile lit up his face. He stood up from his crouched position and offered me his hands. I lightly slipped my hands into his, being careful not to get blood on him. Edward pulled me up from the floor and held my hands in his. He looked over my knuckles closely. My knuckles were swollen, bruised, bleeding, and raw.

"You really did a number on these."

"I know. I got a little carried away."

Edward raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at me.

"I think it was more than a little."

"Well all things considered, I would say it's understandable."

Edward picked up on the irritation in my voice.

"Bella, I'm not saying that you were overreacting. I'm just worried that you're holding on to so much that it comes out like that. That's dangerous for you to ignore."

I pulled my hands out of his and looked him directly in the eye.

"I'm fine. I've done it for 25 years and it hasn't killed me yet."

"Yet being the operative word."

I could feel my frustration and anger starting to build. I was in no shape to get in to a battle of words with Edward.

"I'm not doing this right now. I'm going to clean up."

I turned to leave the basement, but Edward grabbed my upper arm.

"Bella, wait. I'm just concerned about you. I don't want you to hurt yourself or ignore these feelings. It's okay to let them out in a normal matter."

I pulled my arm his grip and glared directly into his eyes.

"I said I was fine. Just drop it."

I turned on my heel and practically ran up the stairs. It was pretty useless to try and get away from him, within a few quick strides, Edward was right behind me. My hand reached for the door knob and twisted it. The door opened just an inch before Edward's hand covered mine and pulled the door closed. Each of his arms flanked me and I could see the muscles moving under his skin.

"Bella, look at me."

His voice was demanding and cold. I turned in the small space between his arms and was faced with the vivid green of his eyes. His face was mere inches from mine. I could feel the heat of his breath fanning across my face.

"Bella, I swore that I was going to protect you, no matter what. I have done my damdest to stand back and leave you alone, but I'm done. I'm going to protect you, even if it is from yourself. Do you understand me?"

I was so shocked at Edward's tone that I was rendered speechless. I nodded my head and kept my eyes locked on his. Edward leaned closer towards my ear. I fought to hide that I was shuddering as I felt his breath move over my neck.

"Say it, out loud."

"Yes, I understand."

I barely squeaked out my response. Edward pulled back and looked me dead in the eye. He kept his face close to mine and I struggled to keep my breathing under control. His eyes were still a vivid green, but they no longer looked angry. There was something else there. It almost appeared to be…lust. I swallowed deeply and leaned away from him. Edward leaned towards me as I continued to lean back, his eyes stayed on mine. I felt the wood of the door hit my back, there was no where else I could go. His eyes left mine for a second and I watched as his gaze drifted down to my lips.

The butterflies in my stomach began to tumble around as his lips slowly crept closer to mine. I closed my eyes and waited to feel his lips against mine. I waited for several seconds, but it never came. I opened my eyes and saw Edward looking down at his feet. I cleared my throat and turned away from him and opened the door. I knew he was following close behind me, I couldn't hear his footsteps, but I felt his presence. I looked back at Edward and he looked almost conflicted. I motioned towards my room.

"I'm going to clean up."

I walked towards my private bathroom and took a deep breath. I turned the light on and looked at my reflection. My eye makeup was still miraculously in place.

_Thank God for waterproof. _

I opened the medicine cabinet and started pulling out hydrogen peroxide and some band aids. I closed the mirror and let out a gasp. Edward's reflection appeared behind mine. I turned and faced him.

"Jesus, you scared me."

"I'm sorry. I thought you might need some help."

"Oh, yeah. That would be great, thank you."

Edward took my hand into one of his and reached behind me and pulled the towel from the rack. He ran one of the edges under the faucet and started blotting it across my knuckles. He was being so gentle. I looked up at him, but he was focused on my hands. I took the time to take in his features. His bronze colored locks were tousled and wild. I wanted to run my hands through it. His broad shoulders were set with muscles and I could see them move underneath his tight shirt. I remembered waking up in his arms and feeling so safe.

Edward took my other hand in his and began to gently wash it as well. I closed my eyes and focused on how his hands moved so carefully across my skin. I let out a small sigh. My eyes snapped open and I could feel my cheeks burning. I prayed that he didn't hear me, but from the small smile that was spreading across his gorgeous lips, I could tell he had. His eyes glanced up at me and I tried to avoid his gaze. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his smile grow. He grabbed the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and soaked some cotton balls in it. He held my hand loosely in his.

"This is going to sting."

I braced myself for the burn of the peroxide. Edward dabbed the cotton ball across my knuckles and I winced slightly at the sting. Edward took my other hand in his and ran the cotton ball across it. I watched as the little white bubbles covered my skin. I really had done a number to my knuckles. As soon as the bubbles disappeared, Edward pulled the band aids from the box and started to cover my knuckles.

"There, all better."

Edward smiled up at me and I felt the butterflies kick in again.

"Thank you."

Edward started putting things away and then he turned to leave the bathroom. My hand shot out and held his hand. I don't know why I did it, but I couldn't stop myself. Edward turned back to me, the question clearly written across his face. I stepped closer to him and stood up on my tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. I stepped back and smiled at him. He didn't move from where he was standing. He just watched me. I walked past him and out in to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and started to pull things out to make dinner.

Edward came out into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He watched me moving from the counter to the stove. I started dicing an onion, totally aware that he was still watching me.

"Do you need any help?"

"Sure, you could cut up the chicken."

Edward stood in the open spot beside me and started to cut up the chicken. We moved completely in rhythm with each other. I pulled a pan from the cupboard and he put the oil in the pan. I put the onion in the pan and he started to sauté it. He stepped away from the stove to grab the cut up chicken and I took over stirring. It was an effortless and natural movement.

After we had finished making dinner, we both grabbed our plated food and made our way towards the giant couch in the living room. Edward motioned towards the TV.

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure. What are you in the mood for?"

I silently prayed he wouldn't suggest a slasher film or an action movie. I wasn't in the mood to watch anybody die.

"How about a comedy?"

"That sounds perfect."

Edward got up from the couch and started to browse the many movies filling the shelves. His finger ran along the spines of the cases and stopped on one movie. He turned and smiled at me.

"I found the perfect one."

"Which one?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

He put the disc in the player and the TV lit up. Edward sat back down beside me and scooped a forkful of food into his mouth. He stopped mid chew and turned to me.

"This is really good. Did you put something in this when I wasn't watching?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

I grinned at him and turned my attention back to the television. The title screen came up and I smiled when I saw the title.

" 'Happy Gilmore', nice choice."

"It's always made me laugh. And besides, this was a test to see how good your taste in movies is."

"Did I pass?"

"With flying colors."

I laughed and turned back to the TV. It would be nice to have a distraction for a few hours. I adjusted myself on the couch and leaned back into the arm rest. My feet were right by Edward's thigh. He glanced down and pulled my feet into his lap. He smiled up at me and I bit my bottom lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.

The credits started rolling and Edward stood from the couch.

"Are you game for another movie?"

"I don't know, I kind of wanted to talk."

"Really?"

Edward's voice was doused in shock.

"Yeah. I wanted to get to know you. I mean, we're going to be stuck together for a little while longer. I might as well gain a friend from this."

_Or more._

"That would nice. What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Everything. Whatever you're allowed to share."

I knew that he probably wasn't allowed to share too much about himself, but I held out hope that I would get to learn something about him.

"Well, I guess we can start with 20 questions."

"Okay. What's your middle name?"

"Anthony, after my grandfather. What's your's?"

"Marie, after my grandmother. Favorite color?"

"Green. You?"

"Purple. Are you going to just keep piggy backing on my questions?"

"Probably, and that counts as a question."

"No it doesn't!"

"Fine. You win this time, but next time I'm not giving up easily."

"Oh, I bet."

It was fun to tease him, but I was still remembering the way he looked when we were in the basement. There was a distinct difference between Agent Edward and regular Edward.

"I thought of one. Okay, Bella, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"Italy. I've always wanted to go, but something always came up to keep me from going. How about you?"

"Egypt. It would be hotter than shit, but I would just love to go and absorb the history there."

"That would be nice. I've always wanted to go to Italy because of the history, too. Every picture I see, it's just gorgeous. I can just imagine wandering the streets and staring at the architecture."

"That would be gorgeous to see."

I looked up and Edward was staring at me again. I felt the blush burning my cheeks. I quickly changed the subject.

"Favorite band?"

"Stone Temple Pilots."

"Good choice. I would have said Deftones."

"You have very good taste in music."

"Thank you."

"I have another question, Bella."

"Okay, shoot."

"Did you know that every time you blush, your eyes turn a deeper shade of brown?"

"No, I didn't know that."

I bit my lower lip and kept my eyes on him.

"And did you know that when you're nervous, you bite your bottom lip?"

"I was vaguely aware of that."

"Did you know that when you laugh, you toss your hair to the side?"

"No. Are you going to keep asking me questions about my quirks?"

I stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. I placed my dishes into the sink and ran the water over them. Edward's body came into my peripheral vision.

"Yes."

"Why are you asking me these things?"

"I just want to get to know you."

"Those don't really serve much of a purpose to get to know me."

"I think I'll judge that one."

"Fine. Did you know that you always run your hands through your hair when you're stressed out?"

"It's actually more of a nerve thing."

Edward stalked towards me and stopped just short in front of me.

"As long as you're aware of it."

"Do you have any idea how hard this is?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've never met anyone quite like you, Bella."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes. You're an amazing woman. I just wish the situation were different."

Edward's arms went to each side of me. His eyes looked tormented. He was fighting this attraction, just as hard as I was.

"Me too. For several reasons."

I gripped the counter behind me and kept my eyes on Edward. His lips looked so inviting. I licked my lips in anticipation. He started to lean towards me and I felt myself being pulled towards him.

"This is very unprofessional of me. Tell me to stop."

I shook my head, "I can't."

Edward's hand moved up my side and stopped at the base of my neck. He leaned in closer to me. I felt his lips ghost across mine. My breath stuck in my throat and my hands shot up to his shoulders. Edward pulled back and looked at me. His eyes were begging for me to give him permission. I silently nodded. That was all he needed. Edward's hand tightened at the base of my neck as he held me in place. He leaned in and placed his lips over mine. It was pure bliss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I felt his tongue run across my bottom lip. My lips parted and eagerly accepted his tongue to mingle with mine. Edward released his grip on the back of my neck and his hands went to my hips and pulled me closer to him. I pulled back from him and quickly began to suck much needed air into my lungs. It had been a long time since I had been kissed like that. Actually, I don't think I had ever been kissed like that. I smiled at Edward and leaned back towards him.

The sound of glass shattering caught both of us off guard. Before I knew it, I was on the floor with Edward's body laying on top of mine. I heard several other things shatter around us. I felt Edward's arms tighten around me and hold me closer to him. We stayed on the floor for several minutes, waiting to make sure we were safe. Edward looked down at me and smoothed my hair back.

"Stay low. Go to your room and pack only what you need. Leave the light in your room off. We have to get out of here."

I nodded and crawled across the floor and into my room. I kept the light in the closet off until I was inside of it and had the door closed. I grabbed my leather duffel bag and started throwing several pairs of jeans and shirts into it. I grabbed a few pairs of underwear and some bras, shoving them into the bag. I turned the light off before I opened the door and made my way to the bathroom. With a quick swipe of my arm across the counter, I got everything I would need into the bag. I crawled past the night stand and stopped. I grabbed the pictures I had of Jess and put them into the front pocket of the bag. I got back on my knees and made my way back towards the kitchen. Edward was still in the kitchen, but he was talking on his phone now.

"The safe house has been compromised. We need to leave now. We're going to need new ID's and a different car. Agent Hale is going to need to be notified. She will have to relocate her client. We're leaving here in five minutes."

Edward closed his phone and he looked up at me. A thin line of blood ran across his cheek. I motioned at my bag, afraid to actually say anything.

"I just need to get Kirby."

Edward nodded and got into a crouched position. He made his way down the hallway and disappeared into his room. I looked around the living room and saw Kirby hiding under the coffee table.

"Kirby! Come here."

I kept my voice low and started patting the floor in front of me. He slowly made his way across the living room and when he was with in an arms reach, I grabbed him and started making my way towards Edward's room. Edward was putting his bag on his shoulder. I noticed his gun was now tucked into his belt. He grabbed the car keys and looked at me.

"Let's go."

I nodded and followed him into the attached garage. Edward checked the car over quickly to make sure it hadn't been tampered with. When he was done, he threw his bag into the backseat. He grabbed my bag and put it in the backseat as well. He motioned for me to get into the passenger seat. I quickly climbed in and stayed low in my seat. The engine roared to life. I placed Kirby on the floor and took a deep breath in. The garage door opened and Edward quickly sped out of it. I watched in the mirror as the house became farther and farther away. A single tear ran down my cheek as I realized this was how my life was going to be from now on. Always running and always looking behind me.

**A/N: And so ends another chapter. I hope you all liked it. I know some of you were begging for some action (Alice, I'm looking at you), so I gave you a smidge. Leave me some love, thoughts, song requests, your dirty socks, I'm really not picky ^_~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Twilight=SM's The Dark That Follows= Mine! *woot***

**A/N: Sorry that this took so flippin long. This was one of those road black chapters that didn't want to come out. So I may have taken a shot or two to loosen up. I so hope that it doesn't suck! I love you all, and thank you for all of the fabulous reviews! Of course a huge thank you to my super beta, Oceanwaters2006! You amaze me and I adore you for everything you do to make this story the best it can be. You will never know how much I appreciate you! *hugs***

**Playlist: Homecoming Queen by Hinder, Wave Goodbye by Framing Hanley, Proud by Korn, Fall Apart by Earshot, Wars by Hurt, The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars, Rewind by Submersed, Tiny Heart by Flyleaf**

***playlist link is in my profile***

**Chapter 10-**

We had been driving for almost an hour and Edward hadn't said a word to me. He was on the phone talking with someone about relocating. The thought of leaving Phoenix both made me sick and brought a sense of relief. I wanted to be able to spend a day not worrying about someone coming after me. I knew that Alice was going to be in the same boat as me, I just wished we would be able to stay together.

Edward closed his phone and put it on the console. He slowed the car to a stop outside of a small house. The garage door opened and Edward pulled in, waiting until the door closed before he shut the car off. Edward unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at me.

"We need to leave Arizona. I've already called my supervisors and told them what happened."

"Do they believe me now?"

Edward scoffed at my comment, "Bella, you need to realize that all of the circumstances of you being there were suspicious from an investigators point of view. But after what just happened, your case just keeps building. It's obvious that someone is after you. We just have to figure out who. Until then, we need to get you somewhere that you'll be safe."

"Where is that going to be?"

Edward ran his hands through his hair and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not sure yet. That's what we're going to figure out."

"What about Alice? Is she going to be going to the same place?"

I was still holding out hope that I could have my best friend with me through this. My hopes fell when I saw Edward shaking his head.

"It's not a good idea to keep you two close together. If one of you were to be found, they find the other one too."

"Yeah, that's what I figured. I just hoped there was a chance."

Edward looked around outside before he opened his door. He walked around to the passenger side and opened my door. I picked Kirby up from the floor and held him close to me. I stepped out of the car and Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders to pull me closer to him. I felt the heat spreading through my body. When I looked up at him, I was hoping that he would be lovingly gazing at me, but he wasn't. Edward was looking around the small neighborhood cautiously as he moved me towards the door. I felt stupid for thinking like a school girl, but I was glad that atleast one of us was hyper aware of the situation at hand.

Edward knocked on the solid wood door and seconds later it cracked open. There was a man on the other side of the door that looked very official and very intimidating. He and Edward shook hands before he led us into a back room. We walked in and I was practically mauled by Alice. Kirby let out a little grunt when Alice bumped into him.

"Thank God you're okay, Bella! I was so worried!"

"I'm okay, Alice."

I felt myself relax as Alice wrapped her arms around me. I hadn't realized how tense I was until that very moment. I pulled back from Alice and tried to give my best 'I'm okay' look. She immediately called my bluff.

"Bullshit. I know that look. That's the look that usually leads to a night of Ben and Jerry's and a Sex and the City marathon."

"That sounds like heaven right now."

Alice gave me a sympathetic smile and smoothed a stray hair away from my face. I felt Edward's hand on the small of my back and chills shot through my spine instantly. I looked back at him, still hoping that he would be smiling at me, but Edward's eyes were fixed on Agent Hale. They were exchanging a knowing and concerned look. The man the greeted Edward and I, closed the door and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Agent Cullen and Agent Hale, you both know the severity of what happened this evening. It is almost safe to assume that whom ever attacked the safe home, followed the car from the cemetery."

I looked over at Edward and saw him grimace. I didn't like that this guy was making him feel guilty for allowing Alice and I to saw our final goodbyes to our friend.

"But that aside, you will both need to relocate your clients," he turned and faced Alice and I. "Both of you will be relocated to different locations. It's too risky to keep you two together."

I already knew that that was coming. Alice however, was not as prepared as I was.

"What do you mean it's too risky? Haven't you ever heard of safety in numbers? And do you really expect us to be separated after we already lost one of our friends?"

"Ms. Brandon, it's already been settled. Nothing you say will change that. I know that it's going to be an adjustment, but it's for your safety."

"Bull hell!"

"Ms. Brandon, I would suggest that you calm yourself down."

"That's it! I want your name and your badge number! I don't know who to call, but I'll fuckin' figure it out."

"Sergeant Emmett McCarty, badge number 1256. Now if you're done, I would like to move on. We need to act quickly. There's no telling if Agent Cullen was followed. As of this moment, Bella, Alice, neither of you exist. You will both have new names and new life stories."

Sergeant McCarty handed Alice and I heavy manila envelopes.

"Don't open those until you are both atleast one hundred miles from Phoenix. I'm not taking any risks now. Agent Hale, you will leave from here and drive until you hit Albuquerque. When you arrive, there will be a warehouse that you need to rendezvous at. You will get a different car and drive to your final destination from there. Agent Cullen, you and Bella will drive up to Salt Lake City. You will also need to swap out vehicles and go to your final destination from there. Also, your clients families will be notified of what's going on and the necessary precautions will be taken. Ladies, you have two minutes to say goodbye and then you'll have to be on your separate ways."

Alice's hand clasped on to mine. There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn't know how I would fit that in to two minutes. I put Kirby on the floor and let him walk around. I wrapped my arms around Alice and squeezed her as hard as I could. I felt like I was losing another friend. Alice and I didn't even pull away from each other as we spoke.

"I'm not going to say goodbye, because it's not goodbye. It's just, see you later. I'm sure this will all be over soon, Bella."

"I hope so. I can't stand the thought of not being able to see you or talk to you. I haven't gone a day without talking to you since we met."

"It'll be okay. We've been through worse, right?"

Alice pulled back and gave me a reassuring smile. A pang of guilt shot through my gut.

"I am so sorry for getting you into this, Alice."

"Are you kidding? Do you really think that I would have just sat on the sidelines and let you do this alone? No fucking way! Besides, imagine the stories we're going to have when we're old ladies in the home."

Alice always knew how to find a silver lining to everything. Edward came and stood by my side.

"We have to get going."

I nodded solemnly. I said a silent pray that this wouldn't be the last time I saw my best friend. I hugged Alice one more time before Edward started to guide me to the door. I could hear Kirby's collar jingling as he ran after us. My feet felt heavy as I walked towards the door. I stopped for a second to pick up Kirby before we went to the car. I looked back at Alice and waved. I could only manage to force a small smile on to my face. Edward opened the door and I looked back at Alice one more time before I followed him to the car. I opened the back door and placed Kirby on the seat before climbing into the passenger seat.

I was still holding the manila folder that Sergeant McCarty had handed me. I wasn't looking forward to having to become someone else. Hell, I barely knew who I was. How in the world was I going to pretend to be someone else? I watched as the houses and street lights zoomed by. Edward was quiet and Kirby was asleep on the backseat. I looked at Edward and noticed his jaw clenching and unclenching.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"Because it looks like you're trying to break your own jaw."

"I just feel like an ass. I should have been paying more attention but instead I let myself be distracted and I almost got you killed."

"But I'm fine. Edward, you can't beat yourself up over this."

"Yes I can. And I should. It's my job to keep you safe and keep you alive. Instead, I let my hormones get in the way. It won't happen again."

I felt my heart drop. He was regretting kissing me. The best kiss of my life, and he was regretting it. Not only that, but he was promising that it wouldn't happen ever again. I looked back out the window and fiddled with the folder that was in my lap. It had been close enough to a hundred miles since we left the house. I opened the envelope with shaky hands. I turned on my little book light and it lit up the interior of the car. I pulled the papers out and sat them in my lap, and there it was, my new name. I read over the papers and tried to memorize it all.

Allison Katherine Alden. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota on December 10th, 1984. An only child born to parents, Liam and Debra Alden, whom were killed in a car accident in 1998. Allison then went to live with her aunt and uncle, Karen and Donnie Alden. Graduated from Stevens High School in Rapid City in 2003 and went on to attend Black Hills State University and major in graphic design.

It went on to list a job history, major illnesses, athletic and academic achievements, and a list of living relatives. It was all very over whelming. In a 24 hour period I had buried my best friend, had a total emotional break down, made out with a hot federal agent, got shot at, relocated from everything I knew, and had to assume a new identity. I put the papers down and let out a shaky breath. I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder as he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's going to be alright, Bella."

"It's Allison now. It's going to take some getting used to."

"It will, but it's all for the best. And it's only temporary. Once we find out who's behind Jessica's murder and the attack on the safe house, you'll be able to go back to your life."

"How do you know that I'll be safe? In that video, Jess said that there were a lot of people involved. Who's to say that someone else won't come after me?"

"Bella, Emmett has assembled a great team. We've all had plenty of field time and training, we know what we're doing. If anything comes up, we will take care of it. I won't let anything happen to you."

I knew that I should feel reassured, but I had a heavy pit in my stomach that just didn't feel right.

"Thank you, but until this is all over, I just don't think I'll feel safe. Too much has happened for me to be lulled in to a false sense of security. I appreciate the effort, but the words won't mean anything until I'm back in Phoenix and living my life without being afraid."

"You're just going to have to trust me."

"I do. I just don't know what you're going up against."

"I think I can handle whatever it is. You should try and get some sleep, we still have about eight hours until we get to Salt Lake City. I'll wake you up when we stop for gas."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get drowsy."

"I'll be fine. I'm used to being up for days at a time."

"Okay, but if you start to feel tired, just wake me up."

"Sounds like a plan. Now get some sleep."

I leaned back into my seat and closed my eyes. I felt my muscles relax as I drifted off.

"Shit!"

Edward's voice jolted me wide awake. I sat up and looked at Edward.

"What's wrong?"

"That SUV has been following us for the last 4 hours. I wanted to make sure so I went to take the last exit and then cut back into traffic and it followed every move."

I looked back and saw the set of headlights starting to get closer.

"What do we do? We're in the middle of nowhere."

"We'll just have to try to stay ahead of them."

I gripped the handle on the door as Edward increased his speed. The little needle began to climb on the dial, fast approaching 95. The headlights behind us got brighter and closer. The interior of the car suddenly got dark. The SUV sped up and got beside the car. My hand tightened on the handle as I saw the SUV swaying towards the side of the car.

"Hold on."

The car shook as the SUV nudged the side of the car. My breathing started to pick up. I wanted to scream, but I knew it would only make the situation worse. The car shook again from the impact. Edward slammed on the brakes just as the SUV rammed into the side of the car again. The SUV clipped the front axel and I could feel the wheels lock up. Edward's grip on the steering wheel was loosened as the car careened off of the road. It felt like everything was going in slow motion. The car caught the side rail as it went off of the road, catching on one of the wheels. Gravity shifted as the car began to tumble and roll across the ground. Glass was shattering and metal was crunching. It felt like the car had rolled for a mile. My body jerked as the car lurched to a stop on the roof.

I took a second to access my injuries. Nothing felt like it was broken, but I could feel the blood trickling down my face. I looked over at Edward and let out an audible gasp. Blood was flowing freely from his head and his eyes were closed.

"Edward! Edward, can you hear me?"

He didn't respond. The car began to get brighter. It took me a second to realize that it was the headlights from the SUV approaching the car. I froze completely. I reached for my seatbelt and released the latch. I fell to the roof and felt the glass shards bite into my shoulders. The SUV got closer and closer and I felt myself start to panic. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't leave Edward, but I knew I it wasn't safe for me to stay. I turned to the window and kicked out the remaining pieces of glass before crawling outside of the car. I looked around for a place to hide, but I could barely see anything in the dark. The lights from the SUV illuminated a small portion and I cursed under my breath when I saw that the whole area was flat and open.

There was no way I could out run an SUV and there was no where to hide. I leaned against the car in defeat. The SUV stopped on the other side of the car. I heard the doors open and foot steps approach the car. A sense of realization began to bloom. I realized that this was how I was going to die. I heard the clicking of metal that I knew was the sound of a gun being cocked. The footsteps got closer and closer. I heard them stop just a few feet away from me. I looked up and saw a silhouetted figure looking down at me. The lights from the SUV reflected off of the polished barrel of the gun. It gleamed in the light as the figure raised the gun and aimed it at my head. I closed my and took in one final breath before I heard the explosion and the bullet leave the chamber.

"BELLA!"

I jerked out of my seat and struggled against the hands that were holding my shoulders.

"Bella, it's just me, Edward. You were having a nightmare."

I took in my surroundings. The car was still in tact and Edward was okay. We were stopped along a small convenience store and the sky was starting to get brighter. My breath was coming out in pants as I forced myself to calm down. I quickly reached a shaky hand down and unhooked my seatbelt. I pushed myself from my seat and wrapped my arms around Edward's neck. His arms slowly went around my shoulders. Edward held me until my breathing slowed and I stopped shaking.

"You're okay. It was just a dream."

I knew it was just a dream, but I couldn't fight the feeling that it was bleak foreshadowing.

**A/N: I really wanted to be evil and end the chapter before Bella woke up, but I figured I kept you waiting for a really long time and that was cruel enough. So, y'all know what to do. Leave me some love, hugs, back rubs, gripes, suggestions, or orange soda (I'm kind of thirsty). LOVE YOU ALL! ^_^**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. 'Nuff said.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. I do have to point out that only one person (Scarlet Nite on fanfic) picked up on the initials for Bella's new identity is AKA. It was a small joke I hid and I was sure no one would pick up on it. But Stacy was the first to review and she got it right away. Good lookin out ^_~ I love all of you! And lots of lovin' to my super beta, Oceanwaters2006. You guys have no idea how hard this girl works and how great she is. The last chapter was submitted and validated within just a few hours. That's how awesome she is. **

**Playlist: Fade by Staind, Fragile by Kerli, Gun In Hand by Stutterfly, Vanity by Decyfer Down, Count Me In by Framing Hanley, Never Get Over You by Our Lady Peace, Ugly Girl by 100 Monkeys, Blink by Signs of Betrayal**

Chapter 11-

_Do you stop and think_

_This life could be over in just one blink__?_

_Do you look around_

_And wonder if life will come crashing down?_

_Are you questioning_

_ The choices you make and the dreams you seek?_

_Some might be right and some might be wron_

_gAnd all of this helps you to become strong_

_Keep on wishing for that storybook endin_

_gAnd cherish it while you sleep_

_Do you fantasize_

_And wake up to find out there is no prize?_

_Is it all a game?_

_A gamble to find out what you can gai__n_

_Do you play it safe_

_Or take the risk knowing there will be pain?_

_You search for the key to unlock the answer_

_Only to find there's still one more chapte__r_

_Keep on wishing for that storybook ending_

_And cherish it while you sleep_

_Soon you'll find it's on wishing for that storybook ending_

_And cherish it while you slee__p_

_Keep on wishing for that storybook ending_

_And cherish it while you sleep_

_**Blink by Signs of Betrayal**_

*EPOV*

I could feel Bella trembling in my arms. Her breathing was stuttered as she tried to calm herself down. I rubbed small circles on her back to attempt to soothe her. It must have been one hell of a dream for her to be reacting like this. I heard Kirby whimper in the backseat. I looked back and saw his tiny face fixed on Bella. If I didn't know any better, I would actually think that he was concerned about Bella being upset. She pulled away from me and reached back to grab the small dog from the seat. She held him up in front of her face and smiled at him. Kirby's small pink tongue darted out and licked the tip of Bella's nose. She cradled Kirby close to her chest and placed her cheek on top of his head.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah. It was just a really realistic dream. "

"It must have been some nightmare. You were actually screaming. It scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry, I think everything is just weighing on me and manifesting in my dreams. I can't relax while I'm awake, so why should my dreams be any different?"

I couldn't make myself respond. I knew she was scared and I knew that she was still holding stuff in. So instead, I just put my hand on her shoulder and stayed silent. There would be time to talk later. I opened my door and got out of the car before turning back to Bella.

"Come on, I need some coffee and I'm not leaving you in the car alone."

Bella nodded and opened her door to get out. She placed Kirby on the seat patted him on the head.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back and we'll take you around for a quick walk."

Kirby grunted and moved his head in what looked like a nod. This dog was still very amusing to me with how he was almost human with his responses. Bella closed the door and walked around the front of the car and stopped at my side. Her hair was messy from her restless sleep and her makeup was slightly smudged under her eyes. She was gorgeous.

I wanted to put my arm around her shoulder or hold her hand, but I fought the urge and kept my hands to myself. Instead, we walked in awkward silence into the store. Letting my hormones take over is what got us into the mess we were in right now. I would be damned if I would let that happen again. Even if the ache to be near her became so great that I was physically hurting, I wouldn't act on it. I would rather be hurting from not being able to touch her than to let anything else happen to her. Bella suddenly turned to me and smiled coyly.

"I need to go use the restroom. I'll be right back."

My eyes followed her until she disappeared into the small unisex bathroom. I let out a low groan. I could kick myself for lying to her. My chest was still aching from having to lie and tell her that kissing her was a mistake. That couldn't be any further from the truth. Kissing her was heaven and she was my angel. But I knew that I had to lie and try to keep a safe distance. I couldn't risk her safety anymore than I already had. I ran a hand through my hair and looked around the small store and spotted the coffee station. I pulled the biggest cup out and started pouring. The older woman behind the counter smiled sweetly at me.

"I just made that pot fresh, sweetie. You have good timing."

"Good, I really need the caffeine right now. Still have a few more hours of driving to do."

"Well you better take two cups then. The second one is on me."

"Oh no, I couldn't, really. But thank you."

"No no, I insist. If anything, take it for that beautiful wife of yours."

"She's not my wife, she's…"

"I'm his girlfriend."

I turned and saw Bella standing behind me with a big grin on her face. She walked up to me and stopped just inches from me. I could feel the warmth radiating off of her. Before I could register anything, Bella stood on her toes and placed a quick kiss on my lips. The kiss was short lived but the electricity was still shooting through me. I completely forgot that we weren't alone. I heard the woman let out a small sigh. I turned to smile at her and there was a huge smile plastered across her face.

"You two are just about the cutest couple I've ever seen. You two wait right here!"

She disappeared in to a back room and emerge a few seconds later holding a tattered photo album and she was being followed by a tired looking older man. She placed the album on the counter and motioned for Bella and I to come to the counter. She opened the book and started flipping through the pages. Each page was covered with pictures of happy couples, thank you notes, and wedding invitations.

"We've had this book for decades. It's pictures of all of the happy couples that stop in along their journeys. So many of them were just dating, but I knew. I can tell when two people will end up together. Just like you two. So young and so happy. Ben and I have been married for 53 years."

"And it's been the best 53 years of my life. Angela isn't just my wife, she's my best friend. And if you'll pardon my crudeness, the old girl's still got it."

Ben quickly swatted at Angela's behind and she let out a giggle. It was heart warming to see two people still very much in love after so many years. Angela turned back to us and smiled.

"Can I get a picture of you two? For the book?"

I was about to object when Bella piped up.

"Sure!"

I shot a glare at her. I didn't like the idea of leaving a photo trail that we were here.

"You two wait right here! I have to go get the camera!"

Angela and Ben both went into the backroom, whispering amongst themselves the whole time. As soon as they were gone, I turned back to Bella.

"What are you doing? We can't leave evidence of us being here."

"It'll be okay. Just follow my lead."

Angela and Ben came back in to the room and were smiling happily. Angela was holding an old Polaroid camera in her hands.

"Okay you two! I want to see that same fire from the kiss before."

I hesitated and looked down at Bella. She had a mischievous grin plastered on her face.

"Don't be shy! Kiss her!"

Bella stood on her tiptoes again and placed her hand on the side of my face. Her eyes met mine before she closed the distance. Her lips moved against mine and as much as I wanted to fight it, I gave in. I moved my lips over hers and felt her tongue run along my bottom lip. My hands cupped her cheeks and I let Bella's tongue mingle with mine. I briefly made out the flash of the camera and forced myself to pull away from Bella. I noticed a slight blush spread across Bella's cheeks. I turned to Angela and smiled.

"Can I see the picture? I want to make sure that it's okay. For the sake of the book."

Angela placed the small picture on the counter and I watched as it slowly developed. The outlines slowly became more pronounced and I could make out our profiles. After a few more seconds, I could clearly see the image of Bella and I kissing. The majority of Bella's profile was covered by my hand and her hair. Mine was shielded by Bella's small hand. I pushed the picture back to Angela and smiled.

"It looks great."

"Now I just need your names so I can put it in the book."

Bella looked very conflicted. I could tell she didn't remember her new name.

"I'm Anthony and this is Allison."

"Well thank you. It's so great to keep this book going. And when you two end up tying the knot, if you could just remember to send us an invitation. Every now and then, we actually get to make it to some of the weddings."

"We'll remember. It was very nice to meet both of you, but we should get going. We still have a few hours ahead of us."

I placed the two cups of coffee on the counter and pulled out my wallet to pay for them. Ben waved his hand at me and frowned.

"No no, don't you worry about it. It's on the house. Seeing two young people so in love is so much better. It gives us hope that love still exists outside of our relationship."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you. It's been a pleasure to meet both of you."

Angela came around the counter and hugged Bella and I before we headed out the door. Bella gave them a small wave before the door closed behind us. Once we were back to the car, I sat the two cups on the roof and caught Bella's arm before she walked over to the passenger side.

"Bella, it was very sweet of you to indulge them, but from now on, nothing like that will happen again."

Bella smiled sweetly up at me.

"Whatever you say, Anthony."

The frustration was building inside of me. I unlocked the car and climbed into the driver's seat. Bella walked around to the passenger side and let Kirby jump out of the car. He pranced over to a small patch of grass and did his business while Bella stretched her arms above her head. Her shirt moved up and I caught a peek of a tattoo running along Bella's hip. My breath caught in my throat when I saw it. My brain was inundated with images of Bella laying underneath me as I discovered her other tattoos. I shook my head and started the car. Bella lifted Kirby into the backseat and then leaned over the roof of the car. She reemerged holding the two cups of coffee that I left on the roof of the car. Bella sat in her seat and handed one of the cups to me.

"How many more hours until we get to out final destination?"

"It's going to be a few. But we'll be in Salt Lake City in an hour."

"And that's when we switch out the car and head to wherever we're going?"

"Yes. But I would suggest that you finish going through that information so you remember your new identity next time."

"I'm sorry. This is all very new to me. You might be used to watching people uproot their lives and changed who they are, but it's hard to go through."

"Bella, I get that. But you need to be prepared. You have to become your new identity."

Bella grimaced and looked out the window before grumbling something that sounded like okay. Bella grabbed the folder from the floor and started going through the papers. She stopped when she saw the envelope buried in the stack. She dumped the contents of the small envelope onto her lap. Several plastic cards sat scattered across her legs. I knew that it was her new ID and credit cards.

"How did they make these so quickly? They couldn't have had more than two hours to get this stuff put together."

"They have their ways. I try not to get into the details end of it. I'm better with a gun than I am with a computer."

"That's good to know."

I shifted the car into reverse and pulled away from the store. I saw Angela wave at us through the window. Bella and I both waved and smiled as we left the parking lot.

~BPOV~

I stared at the last page in the stack and tried to soak it all in. I knew Edward was right, I had to be better prepared. I had no idea how far Corporal Barlow's reach went. It could have been contained to just Arizona, but there was no knowing that for sure. I felt the car slow to a stop. I looked up and saw we were in front of a huge building with a coded gate. Edward reached out of the window and pushed a combination of keys and the gate slowly opened. Edward drove forward and stopped in front of another door. This one looked like a garage door. Once the gate was closed behind the car, the garage door opened and Edward pulled in to the building. It looked like a parking garage. There were numerous amounts of cars several people walking around. He waited until the door was closed before he cut the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"We're here. Get all of your stuff."

Edward got out of the car and was greeted by a woman dressed in a dark pantsuit. She was stunning. She had long strawberry blonde hair and beautiful features. They shook hands and then the woman gestured for us to follow her through the room. Edward and I grabbed our bags out of the back and put them over our shoulders. Kirby sat on the seat and watched me anxiously.

"Come on."

I opened my arms and Kirby jumped into them. I followed behind Edward as we passed car after car. The woman stopped in front of a black SUV. She handed a set of keys to Edward and smiled at me.

"This will be your vehicle. You'll be needing the 4-wheel drive for where you two are going. Agent Cullen, the information and identity packet is in the side console. Everything you need is in it. Did you both get everything out of the other vehicle?"

I nodded at her as Edward opened the back of the SUV and put his bag in before reaching for mine. I stared at the SUV and fought the queasy feeling that was coming into my stomach. The SUV looked exactly like the one in my dream. The déjà vu feeling was not lost upon me. I looked back to Edward who was giving me a very concerned look.

"We have set up the leave time. Someone will drive your old car to Las Vegas incase anyone followed you. They will leave first and then you will leave ten minutes later in a cluster of vehicles. You'll be the fourth car in the line up. Once you get to Braum avenue, you'll take a left and get back onto the interstate. All of the other vehicles have a scattered course and with have a two person male and female team driving. You shouldn't have any problems."

"Thank you, Taunya. I appreciate all of the work you put into this."

"I owed you a favor, remember?"

"Well I think that we're even now."

"We better be. This was a lot of work, Cullen."

I watched Edward and Taunya's exchange and felt a hint of jealousy at their carefree effortless banter.

"It was great to see you again, Cullen. But you two better get ready, you're old car just left."

Taunya hugged Edward and then turned to me and smiled. Her eyes ran over me before she turned back to Edward and whispered into his ear before she walked off. Edward had a small grin on his face and I self consciously ran a hand through my hair and suddenly felt very mousy. Edward got into the SUV and I followed behind him. I opened the passenger door and placed Kirby on the floor before climbing in. Edward was quiet and kept his eyes forward.

"She seems nice."

"Taunya? Yeah, she and I go way back."

The pang of jealousy shot through me again. I decided that I needed to be a little bit of a snoop and find out in what way they go 'way back'.

"I think she likes you."

Edward let out a loud laugh before turning to me and shaking his head.

"I don't think I'm her type."

I was curious as to how Edward couldn't be anybody's type. He was everybody's type.

"Why's that?"

"Because I have a penis. Taunya is gay."

I suddenly felt very stupid.

"Oh. She just seemed very flirty with you. With all of the touching and whispering."

"She just whispered that she thought you were gorgeous."

I felt the blush spread across my face and I looked down at my feet. Edward started the SUV and maneuvered around the other cars and lined up behind the other vehicles that were getting ready to leave. We sat in silence until the garage door opened. I heard the engines revving as they started to pull out of the building. I sat back and watched as the buildings went by. After twenty minutes, we were back on the interstate.

"So will you tell me now where we're going?"

"We're going to Montana."

"Montana? Really?"

"Yes. There's a lot of places up there that we can blend in."

"Exactly where in Montana are we going?"

"Belgrade. We'll have a cabin up there in the mountains."

"Is it going to be cold up there?"

"Probably for you since you pretty much grew up in Arizona. Don't worry, someone already bought some supplies for you."

"Okay. So is the cabin going to be stocked up like the safe house? I don't know if I'll be able to sit around a cabin and not have anything to do."

"It's been taken care of. The cabin will be fully stocked and ready for us when we get there. I suggest you sit back and relax, we still have about 7 hours to go."

I laid back in my seat and relaxed and tried to fall asleep. Kirby jumped up into my lap and curled into a small ball. My brain was still going a million miles an hour, making sleep unachievable.

Several hours had passed and I looked out the window in time to see the big sign greeting us and welcoming us to Montana. As the sign went by, I hoped that I wouldn't be stuck here for too long. I already missed my old life and wanted it back.

_If yesterday was here_

_ I could turn and face all my fears_

_When tomorrow calls my name_

_ I won't be afraid_

_Change my name_

_I'm asking you_

_To take my fame_

_And wash it away_

_I'm on my knees_

_Waiting for you_

_To take my vanity my vanity_

_As the show goes on_

_The mirror lies but _

_You see through me_

_And though I try to make believe_

_I cannot hide my identity_

_**Vanity by Decyfer Down**_

**A/N: I blew through this chapter. I couldn't sleep so I just started writing. I wanted to get a chapter out quickly since I made all of you wait for so long with the last one. Leave me lovin', reviews, distain, song suggestions (and I mean that one), or a dirty smutty novel. I need to brush up on my literary porn. You all know it's coming. Also I strongly suggest you check out this chapters player so you can hear to two featured songs. Blink is amazing when you sit and listen to it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Enter your own witty comment here because I don't have the energy to do it right now.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! ^_^ You all have no idea how much you all make my day when I get your reviews. I do a happy dance every time I get one. And as always in this reserved spot, a thank you to my beta, Oceanwaters2006. Me love you long time!**

**Playlist: Let It Go by Cavo, Sweet and Low by Augustana, Letters From A Thief by Chevelle, Wherever I May Roam by Metallica, Home by Framing Hanley, Thing For You by Hinder, Go to Heaven by The Pierces**

**Chapter 12-**

The scenery was absolutely breath taking. The snow capped mountains were set off in the background and they were only visible when you got around all of the trees.

"It's really beautiful up here. And green. I haven't seen scenery like this since I was a kid in Washington."

"It is really pretty up here. It will be a lot more peaceful, too."

"That's a relief."

Edward smirked but kept his eyes on the road. He was so gorgeous. Everything about him was perfect. I tried not to be obvious that I was staring at him. I didn't want to rock the boat anymore than I already had at the convenience store. But I couldn't deny that sweet old couple something as simple as a kiss. And there was no way that I was going to pass that opportunity up. If he was going to clam up and hide his emotions, I was going to make it my mission to make him admit them. I didn't really want to feel like I was forcing myself on him, but I knew Edward would get over it.

I looked back out the window and looked up at the huge wall of rock the was beside the vehicle. We were going through a valley and it was beautiful. Kirby jumped up into my lap and looked out the window. I heard him whimper lightly and knew that he was needing a pit stop.

"Edward, do you think we can pull over? Kirby needs to go to the bathroom."

"Sure. There should be somewhere to pull off up ahead."

The narrow road wrapped around the cliffs and eventually widened at the side for a parking area. I hopped out and placed Kirby on the ground. He quickly ran off to find a place to do his business. The air had a crisp chill to it. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. The air was so pure up here. Edward came around the SUV and stood by my side, looking at the stream that was running just a few feet in front of us.

"I love being away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's peaceful out here. It just seems so untouched."

"It is nice. And it's nice to get away from the smog. I feel like I can breathe."

"Try not to get too used to it. We're going to try and get you back to your old life as soon as we can."

The sun was just beginning to set over the mountains and was casting a beautiful glow on to Edward's face. He looked like a Greek god. The slopes of his cheek bones and jaw were more pronounced in the light. His face had a light stubble growing across it. It took me a second to realize that I was damn near drooling and hadn't responded to his comment.

"That would great. But I guess I could just view this as a much needed vacation."

"I've found it's always best to approach life as an optimist."

"That's how Jess was. Always looking at the bright side of things."

"She sounded like a great person."

"One of the best."

Before I could let myself get too emotional, Kirby came bounding towards us and stopped at my feet.

"It looks like he's ready to hit the road again. How much longer until we are at the cabin?"

"About an hour. But we need to make a pit stop and pick a few things up."

"I thought the cabin was fully stocked."

"It is, but you need a better coat and we need to get some hair dye."

"Why?"

"We both have to change our appearances. Just another precaution."

I let out a groan and let my head fall back. I took a deep breath as I tried to focus on the baby blue color of the sky. I was really starting to get sick of all of this.

"Let's go. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get to the cabin and get this done with."

"It's just temporary, Bella. If you want, you can just use a temporary dye."

"That's not what I'm concerned about. I'm just sick of there always being one more thing. First I have to live in a safe house after my home is ransacked. Then I get shot at and have to leave Phoenix and be separated from my best friend. And now I have an alias and have to change my appearance. If there is anything else, someone will be getting my shoe up their ass."

"Noted."

I stalked back to the car and lifted Kirby in before getting back into my seat. I could feel myself getting wound up and forced myself to do some heavy breathing.

_Deep breath in. Hold it. Let it out slowly._

I managed to take two deep breaths before I gave up and decided I was going to just let myself be pissed.

The fluorescent lights crackled above my head as I trudged down the aisle of the store. I rubbed at the baseball hat that Edward made me put on to try and hide my appearance until I could dye my hair. I looked at the wide array of boxes with different models attempting different emotions. I rolled my eyes and grabbed two different boxes.

"I don't know. Should I go for aloof or pensive?"

Edward looked up from the hair dye box he was looking at and smiled.

"Pensive matches your eyes better."

"Pensive it is."

I put the other box back and walked over to Edward. He fiddled with the hat he was wearing before picking up a box of blonde dye. I inwardly cringed at the thought of him changing his hair color. I loved how his natural color looked like a bronzed halo above him, and now that was going away. Edward looked deep in thought before he put the box down on the shelf. I silently cheered.

"I'm just not sure what color I should go for. Definitely not blonde. And not black."

"You're worse than a girl, you do realize that?"

"Well excuse me if I don't want to look emo. I guess I could and I could pick up some eyeliner while we're here."

"That might be kind of hot on you. It would show of your eyes."

"I believe I'll pass on the Cover Girl."

Edward looked at the boxes again and let out a huff. He scanned the boxes quickly before he reached out and grabbed one. Edward grabbed it so quickly that I didn't even get to see what color he picked.

"What did you pick?"

"You'll see tonight."

I tried to peek at the box, but he shielded it from my view.

"You're no fun."

"Isn't it more fun if it's a surprise?"

"I've had enough surprises to last me a lifetime."

"Okay, poor choice of words. You'll just have to wait. Come on, we need to find some heavier coats."

Edward and I made our way through the store before we found the clothing department. I quickly grabbed a plain black jacket and found Edward mulling over two choices. He was looking back and forth between a green coat and a black one. He looked up and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I'm taking too long again."

"Go for the black one. It hides dirt and it's more stealthy."

"You can't argue with that."

Edward pulled the black one off of the rack and threw it over his arm.

"I'm ready if you are."

"Yep. Besides, Kirby is probably getting ready to go crazy out in the car."

"More than likely."

Edward and I got in the check out line and we were greeted by a woman in her mid 30's. She smiled sweetly at us as she rang our stuff up. Edward quickly blocked me from trying to peek at his hair dye.

"No spoiling it!"

"I wasn't trying to peek. I was looking at the total."

"Liar."

The woman laughed lightly as she bagged our items.

"I haven't seen you two around here before. Are you new to town?"

Edward nodded and put his arm around my shoulders.

"We just moved here. I inherited my uncle's house. And it's really nice, so it was hard to say no."

"Oh, that's great! Welcome to Belgrade! I'm Esme, and this is my store. So if either of you ever need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, Esme. We appreciate that."

Esme smiled at us again and almost seemed like she was waiting for something. I realized we hadn't given her our names. I was about to give her my new name when Edward spoke first.

"Sorry, I'm Matt and this is my wife, Allison."

My smile stretched across my face and I could tell that I probably looked deranged. I reached my hand across the counter and shook Esme's hand.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too. Are you two newly weds?"

I wasn't too sure what our story was, so I kept my mouth shut and let Edward answer her.

"Yes, we've been married for five months."

Esme gave us another sweet smile as she let out a light sigh.

"Well congratulations. Now, I should probably let you two get on your way home. You're total is $64. 98."

Edward pulled a card out of his wallet and swiped it through the machine. Esme handed the bags to Edward and waved as we walked to the door.

"It was nice to meet both of you. Don't be strangers!"

"We'll be back. Thank you again, Esme. Have a great night."

I waved at Esme and smiled.

"Bye."

When Edward and I got to the SUV, Kirby was standing by the window and peeking out at us. Edward looked over the car quickly before unlocking it and getting in. He started the engine and we were off….again.

The road curved up the small hill and led into a wooded area. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and casting shadows along the covered path. The road stretched for three miles before coming to a huge gate. Edward grabbed what looked like a garage door opener from the center console and the gate began to open. We drove up the shirt path to the fully lit house. It was beautiful. And huge. Edward pulled the SUV into the four car garage and let door close behind us.

"This is where we're staying?"

"Yes."

"It's huge!"

"I know."

"Are we the only ones staying here?"

"Yes."

"Wow."

I opened my door and let Kirby jump out first. I looked around the huge garage and couldn't wait until I got to look through the rest of the house.

"Wait. Isn't it fishy that we're a young married couple and living all alone in this huge house?"

"Nope. I inherited it from my uncle Sam. His last wish was that I get his beloved mountain home."

"So that's our cover?"

"Yes it is."

"Okay. So are you going to go over your new identity with me so that I don't have to fumble around the next time I meet someone?"

"We'll go over that later. Right now, we need to take care of changing your hair."

"Fine. Lead me to the bathroom and the hair dyeing will commence."

Edward and I walked to the back door of the SUV and grabbed our bags.

"About that…"

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned on my heels to face Edward.

"What now?"

"You might want to consider cutting your hair, too."

My mouth was agape as I stared at him.

"Really? Why don't I just shave my head? No one would recognize me then. And I could wear an eye patch. They won't be looking for a bald pirate."

"It's just a suggestion. And it's only hair. It will grow back."

I jutted my bottom lip and freely pouted. I didn't care if I was acting like a four year old, I loved my long hair. Edward gave me a knowing look and I let out an exasperated groan.

"Fine! Whatever!"

I looked around the room and saw what I guessed was the door into the house. I walked up to the door and tried the handle, but it was locked. Edward pushed the key into the lock and pushed the door open. Kirby walked slowly into the house and looked around. I looked around the house and was shocked at the size of it. It was very warm and inviting. The living room had dark brown leather couches spread out in front of a fireplace. The walls were decorated with paintings of the mountain scenery. I was trying to take it all in when I felt something poking my shoulder. I looked back at Edward and he held out the box of hair dye to me.

"Upstairs and to the right. You can use the towels to cover your clothes."

I took the hair dye from him and made my way upstairs. I peeked into the rooms and found the bathroom. I closed the door and got to work on my hair. I went through the drawers and found a pair of scissors. I held them in my hand and looked up at my reflection. I tried to remember what my mother had taught me about doing fast layers to hair. I took a deep breath and smoothed my hair back into a high ponytail. I grabbed the end of the ponytail and began to cut.

Long strands of hair fell into the sink, one after the other. I snipped a few more times before I took my hair down. My hair used to stop in the middle of my back, but now it was just above my collar bone. I didn't want to loose my nerve, so I quickly got the hair dye ready and applied it the way the directions instructed. After 30 minutes, I rinsed my hair and wrapped a towel around my head. I searched the bathroom and found a blow dryer under the sink. I plugged it in and dried my hair, all while avoiding looking in the mirror. Once my hair was dry, I unplugged the hair dryer and braced my arms on the sink. I slowly looked up and stared at my reflection.

"Holy shit."

My hair wasn't chocolate brown anymore. It was black. I turned my head to each side and examined myself. I was lost in thought when I heard a knock on the door.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just different."

"Come out. I want to see."

"I don't want to."

"Come on! I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

I didn't really want to leave the bathroom, but the intrigue of seeing what color Edward chose was forcing my hand. I opened the door slowly and looked up at Edward. His hair was no longer the beautiful bronze color, it was now a deep chocolate brown. Edward looked over my hair and his eyes grew three times their normal size.

"Wow. I like it."

"Really? It isn't too dark?"

"No, it looks good. What do you think of mine?"

"It's different. It makes your eyes stand out more."

"But do you like it?"

I looked over it again. It was actually a pretty sexy color on him.

"Actually, yes. It looks nice."

"Thank you."

We stood awkwardly and stared at each other.

"I almost forgot something."

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a few rings. He took my left hand into his and put them on my finger. The first was a silver band with a medium sized diamond set in the middle. The second was another silver band that was studded with black onyx stones. I couldn't do anything but watch as he did it.

"What is this?"

"It's our cover. From now on, you are Mrs. Matthew Lincoln."

"But I thought my cover name was Allison Alden."

"There was a revision in my briefing documents. That was your maiden name. So as far as the good people of Belgrade, Montana know, we are a happily married couple."

"Well, I think I can handle that."

I could definitely handle that. I just hoped that he could.

**A/N: Holy beans! They're going to be living together in a beautiful cabin set in the mountains. And they are posing as husband and wife. I wonder what will happen next. Oh, did I forget to mention that there's a hot tub? Leave me love, reviews, song suggestions (still stressing that one), hate mail, hugs, or some sleeping medication. This story has been keeping me awake. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Twilight isn't mine. *sigh* I just like making her characters dirty dirty sluts.**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed! I'm still looking for some song suggestions, so please don't be shy! The only thing I ask, is no rap or country. I will kindly thank you for the suggestion, but then veto it. ^_~**

**I can not express how much I adore all of you. Thank you for keeping me going! **

**And to my amazing beta, oceanwaters2006, I can never thank you enough. If it weren't for you, this story wouldn't be possible. I feel like I'm working you to the bone all the time! But again, thank you for what you do and helping me get this story out and making it presentable to the public!**

**Playlist: Dance of the Manatee by Fair To Midland, Dirty Work by Halestorm, Answers by Submersed, Creep by Radiohead, Pardon Me by Incubus, Breathe In by Paloalto, Faithless by Injected, Panic Prone by Chevelle**

Chapter 13-

I stared at my hand and watched as the diamond twinkled in the light. Even though I knew I would eventually have to give it back, I still enjoyed seeing the sparkle. Edward cleared his throat and I glanced up from my hand.

"Do you want to help me make dinner?"

"Sure. Do you know what we're making?"

"Not really. I figured we could look around and see what's here. I don't know what they stocked it with."

"Okay, but I'm going to change first."

I walked toward the stairs and started to walk down to where I left my bag. I saw Kirby in the middle of the staircase, trying to climb up the tall steps. I patted him on the head as I walked by him. His eyes followed me down to the landing of the stairs and turned to hop back down the stairs to follow me. I made my way through the kitchen to the entryway and grabbed my bag. I quickly ran back up the stairs, only stopping to scratch Kirby's ear. Kirby let out a small groan as I passed by him. I reached the top of the stairs and stopped. I looked down each side of the hallway.

"Edward, which room do I use?"

"Whichever one you want."

This could take a minute. I went down the hallway to my left and looked in all 4 rooms. They were all nice and painted warm colors. I went down the other hallway and looked at the other three rooms. When I opened the last door, I knew that this was my room. The walls were a calm light grayish purple color. The huge canopy bed sat in the middle of the room, inviting me to plop down on it. It sat my bag down by the rustic wood dresser and hopped up on the bed. The mattress enveloped me when I landed on it. This would definitely do.

I jumped off of the bed and went to my bag. I dug through the contents and found my cut off sweats and a tank top. I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it on top of the dresser. As I was pulling my pants off of my legs, I managed to fall into the dresser and land on the floor with a thud. I giggled to myself and was glad that no one else was here to see how graceful I was. I got up from the floor and put my sweats on. I had just barely grabbed my tank top when the bedroom door flew open. Edward stood in the door way and looked around the room. His eyes stopped on me and suddenly got huge. He looked away and ran a hand through his hair. It was at that second that I realized I was standing there in just a bra and a pair of cut off sweats holding my shirt in my hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to catch you changing. I heard the noise and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

I really didn't mind that he had caught me in this state of undress. I had decided at the convenience store that I wasn't going to make things very easy for him. It was time I turned the heat up just a little.

"It's okay. Although I'm starting to think you like barging in on me."

Edward blushed a little and kept his eyes averted from me. I stepped closer to him and ducked into his line of view.

"Are you really that shy, Edward? It's just a bra. It's the same thing as a bikini top."

Edward cleared his throat and suddenly found his feet very interesting.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'll knock next time."

"It's okay, Edward, really."

"Alright…um…I'm going to go start dinner."

"Edward, before you go, can you unhook my bra? My shoulder is a little sore. I think I strained it yesterday."

I watched Edward's adam's apple bob as he swallowed. I may have lied about my shoulder, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I turned my back to him and waited. His hands felt warm on my cooled skin and I tried to keep my breathing calm. I felt my bra loosen around me and I kept my back to Edward as I slid the straps down my arms. I threw my bra onto the bed and pulled my tank top over my head. I turned back to Edward just in time to see him running his hand through his hair. I had made him nervous.

"So did you find anything in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, there's everything we need for soup."

"That sounds good to me. Come on, I need to get Kirby some food."

I left the room before Edward, and I'll admit, I may have been strutting and swinging my hips a little more than usual. I was going to make it my mission to drive Agent Edward Cullen crazy.

I stood at the sink and rinsed of some carrots and celery. I heard Edward moving slowly behind me. I didn't know if I had pushed him too far in the bedroom, but I really didn't care. Pots and pans were clanking around as Edward shoved them around the cupboard.

"Are you okay, Edward?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why do you ask?'

"You just seem really tense."

_I wonder why…_

"No. I think I'm just tired."

_Uh huh, sure you are._

"You can go sit down. I think I can manage making soup."

"That wouldn't be right. I wouldn't want to desert you and make you do this by yourself."

"Edward, it isn't a big deal. Go sit down. Relax."

"Okay."

Edward walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. I peered around the cupboard and watched him plop down onto one of the leather couches. He leaned his head back and let out a low sigh. Suddenly, I was struck with an idea. I opened the fridge door and looked over the contents. I smiled to myself when I saw the bottled water. I grabbed out two bottles and left one for myself on the counter, carrying the other into the living room.

I stood in front of the coffee table that sat in front of the couch. Edward's head leaned forward as he watched my movement. I was very aware of where his eyes were. I bent at my waist and placed the bottle of water on the coffee table, knowing that Edward was very aware of my lack of a bra. While I was still bent over, I looked up at Edward and smiled. His eyes were looking right down my shirt. Perfect. I took my time standing up before I turned and sauntered back into the kitchen.

I went back to gathering everything for dinner. I went to the pantry and looked around until my eyes fell on a bag of noodles. I grabbed them and closed the pantry door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a silhouette. I jumped and turned toward the figure and dropped the bag of noodles to the ground. Edward stood there, staring at me and breathing heavily.

"Jesus, Edward! You scared the crap out of me."

Edward stalked towards me and pushed me against the pantry door. His arms flanked each side of me. The look that was on his face was almost animalistic. One of his hands trailed up to the side of my neck. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself into him. I moved my lips against his fervently. Edward's teeth nipped at my bottom lip and I sighed into his mouth. Edward took advantage of the moment and his tongue hungrily licked at mine. My tongue massaged his with heated ardor as he thrusted his hips into mine.

A small gasp escaped my lips when I felt the bulge against my lower abdomen. Liquid fire was shooting through my veins. Edward's lips left mine and trailed a path down my neck. I tilted my head to the side and felt his hand tangle into my hair and pull my head back, exposing more of my neck to him. His teeth nipped at the skin of my neck before his tongue ran up my neck and stopped at the shell of my ear. Edward's breath was hot against my skin.

"This is the last time this can happen. Do you understand?"

I pulled back from him and smiled.

"That's what you said the last time."

Edward's lips went back to my neck and sucked lightly at my skin. The sensation caused goosebumps to cover my arms. Edward's hand trailed up my side and made lazy circles along my ribcage. I gasped when I felt his thumb rasp across the under side of my breast. My head fell back and leaned against the wall. I bit my lower lip to stifle a moan as Edward trailed kisses down my neck and across my collar bone. His mouth lowered over the sheer fabric of my tank top and sighed loudly as his mouth moved over the swell of my breast. He raised his head and our eyes connected. I gazed into the beautiful pools of green and let myself get lost in them.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and crashed my mouth to his. Edward's hands went to my hips and lifted me up towards him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kept my lips on his. I felt like I was spinning from all of the sensations that were flooding into my body. I didn't even realize that Edward had moved us into the living room until I felt the soft leather of the couch press into my back. I let my arms fall from Edward's neck and trailed them down his back. My fingers played with the hem of his shirt for just a second as I contemplated my next move.

Before I could change my mind and tugged his shirt up to his shoulders and pulled it over his head, quickly discarding it on the floor. Our lips separated just long enough for me to remove Edward's shirt. I drug my nails up along his spine and smiled against his lips when I felt goosebumps form under my fingers. Not to be outdone, Edward moved his hand under my tank top. I moaned against his lips as his hand made it's way over my stomach, stopping just below the curve of my breast. I could feel him hesitate, so I arched into his touch to silently give my approval. His hand cupped my breast and his thumb rubbed against my nipple making me whimper into his mouth.

I parted my lips against his and sucked his lower lip into my mouth. I wanted more contact and started to squirm underneath him. Without having to say anything, Edward understood. I arched my back as his hands pulled my tank top up and over my head. My skin against his was heaven. The only thing that was separating us was our pants. I reached in between us and tried to unbutton his jeans, but Edward's hand shot to my wrist. Edward pulled away from me and looked down at me with a conflicted look painted across his face. He let out a ragged breath and looked away from me.

"We can't do this. This is so unprofessional."

"Edward, look me in the eye and tell me you don't want this as much as I do."

"Of course I want this, Bella. I've wanted you since the second I saw you. But the last time I let my hormones take over, I didn't do my job and you could have been killed."

"That wasn't your fault. Shit happens, Edward. Sometimes things are just out of our control and we have to deal with that."

"I think you cornered the market on that one."

I froze underneath him and suddenly felt very exposed. I looked away from him and looked around the floor for my shirt. Edward worriedly ran a hand through his hair.

"Shit, Bella, I didn't mean it like that."

I didn't say anything. I just kept my eyes on the floor and spotted my tank top. I tried to reach for it, but Edward stopped me.

"Bella, please just listen to me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out that way. But you and I both know that if we keep doing this, you're going to get hurt. I have a job to do and I need to focus on that. I can't risk putting you in anymore danger just so we can act on our attraction."

"Why not? Are you afraid that you'll get attached to me and then someone is going to off me? Or are you just that much of a pussy that you can't take the risk?"

I pushed against Edward's shoulders and quickly moved from underneath him. Picking my shirt up from the floor, I pulled it back on. I was now regretting not wearing a bra.

"Bella, look at what you've lost because I wasn't doing my job. Had I been paying attention, we could have avoided this whole new situation. I'll be damned if I put you in danger again."

"You're really kidding yourself if you think ignoring this is going to make it go away."

I turned to walk back to the kitchen but Edward stopped me. Every move I made to step around him was blocked. I kept my eyes on the floor so I wouldn't be distracted by the fact that his shirt was still off.

"Bella, look at me."

I forced myself to look into his eyes.

"I have never wanted anyone like I want you."

"Then why are you fighting it so hard?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"Bullshit. You're just too chicken shit. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go finish making dinner."

Edward looked defeated as he stepped to the side and let me by him. I walked into the kitchen and silently worked on dinner. Edward walked in and he stayed quiet as I finished chopping all of the vegetables. I was so focused on how angry I was with Edward and myself that I wasn't paying attention to where the knife was. I was brought out of my daze when I felt the sharp blade cut into my finger. I dropped the knife on the counter and pulled my hand to my chest. I looked at my finger and saw blood start to ooze from the wound. I put my hand in the sink and started to run water over it. Edward was at my side and inspecting the wound.

"Are you okay?"

I pulled my finger out from under the faucet and watched as streams of blood slivered out from the gash. I looked closely at it and I couldn't see bone or a tendon.

"Yes. I don't think it went too deep."

Edward pushed my hand back under the running water before running out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Seconds later, he came sprinting down the stairs with a first aid kit. Kirby sat in the middle of the staircase and watched Edward with a questioning look. Edward placed the kit on the counter and started pulling things out.

"Let me see it."

"Really, Edward, it's not bad."

"Shut up and let me see it."

I turned off the water and kept my hand over the sink. Edward leaned over and looked closely at my finger. He reached into the first air kit and pulled out a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. He poured it over my finger and I grimaced at the burn. The peroxide covered my finger and trickled down the cuts on my hand from the punching bag. Edward waited for a second before covering my finger with antibiotic ointment and placing a loose gauze pad over it. He finished dressing the wound in silence. I would occasionally look at his face and then quickly look away.

"There. Leave that on and I'll change it in the morning."

"Edward, I'm a big girl. I can handle changing some gauze."

My tone was a lot more harsh than I had intended and I quickly backtracked.

"But thank you for bandaging me up, again. I'm kind of accident prone."

"I've noticed that."

We grew silent and both looked at our feet.

"Bella, I'm sorry if I led you on. That wasn't my intention. And I know it doesn't make it any better, but I do like you. I just know that I can't and shouldn't do anything until I know you're safe. You're safety needs to be my number one priority. I can't let myself get distracted again."

"I understand where you're coming from. I really do. And I'm sorry for trying to seduce you."

"So you mean you don't usually go around without a bra?"

"Not really. It's actually kind of uncomfortable."

"All things considered, I would say we're even. So can we move past this and just be friends?"

"I guess we can try."

"That works for me."

Edward pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly to him. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. The light thudding of his heart was soothing. I relaxed into his embrace and felt his hands rubbing up and down my back. His hands stopped in the middle of my shoulder blades and rubbed lightly.

"The lack of bra is definitely distracting."

Edward let me go and I ducked my head to hide my smile. I already felt like an ass and I wanted to distract from that at this moment.

"So how about you fill me in on our new cover story and we finish making dinner?"

Edward and I went back to work on making dinner and he told me everything I would need to know about his back story and our story as a couple. We met our freshman year at BHSU and became fast friends, but didn't want to take it past that for the sake of our friendship. And in our senior year, we decided to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. We've been happily together since then and were married in a small ceremony in Spearfish, South Dakota on April 4th. I tried to submit as much to memory as I could. There were just so many dates and names to remember that it felt like my brain would hemorrhage at any moment.

"We are going to have to go over this again tomorrow. I know I didn't absorb half of what you just told me."

"Well, we have time. We can't really go out a whole lot."

"I though the whole point of changing our appearances was so we would be harder to recognize."

"It was. But that doesn't mean that we just get to go gallivant around and act like nothing is wrong."

"But won't that seem suspicious? We're new to town and people hardly ever see us?"

"We could just say that it's because we're newly weds and we would rather spend our time in other ways."

Despite the fact that I had just tried to seduce Edward, I could still feel the blush spreading across my face because of his comment. I would like nothing more than to actually spend my time that way, but Edward had other plans. And no means no.

"I guess that would work for a little bit. We will need food eventually though. And a date night every now and then."

"Okay, how about once a week we will go out to a movie or dinner? That is if we're here that long."

"That sounds great. It's a good compromise between you protecting me and me keeping my sanity."

"There is plenty to do up here though."

"Like what?"

"There's horseback riding, hiking, fishing, watching movies, reading a book, swimming…"

"Swimming? Is there a pool here too?"

"Well, not really. There's a hot tub out back."

Images of a half naked Edward danced around in my brain. I had to force myself to think of Larry King in a speedo. I grimaced at the thought and tried not to gag.

"That sounds nice. I'll be taking advantage of that later."

I peered into the kettle and stirred the soup around.

"I think dinner's ready. Will you grab the bowls?"

Edward and I ate in comfortable silence. Every now and then, one of us would make some small talk and then go back to eating. After we were done, we cleaned the kitchen and put everything away. Even though I protested, Edward wouldn't let me help with the dishes. So I settled for standing behind him and enjoying the view. Edward put the last dish in the cupboard and stretched his arms above his head.

"I think I'm ready to call it a night."

"Me too. Do we have any plans tomorrow that I need to know about?"

"Nope. We are just free ballin' it."

Edward and I walked up the stairs and I stopped to pick up Kirby and carry him into my room. I stopped in front of my door and smiled at Edward. I gestured to the door and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Goodnight. And thank you for taking care of me."

"Anytime, Bella."

Edward leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his lips on my skin.

"Sweet dreams, Bella. If you need anything, I'm right across the hall."

I smiled and nodded. I pushed the door of my room open and stepped inside. I put Kirby down on the floor and closed the door behind me. I leaned up against it and looked down at Kirby.

"I really made a mess of that, didn't I?"

Kirby just looked up at me before laying by my feet and rolling onto his back. I scratched his pink belly and smiled at him.

"There's always tomorrow, right?"

Kirby jumped back onto his feet and wagged his tail happily. I picked him up and sat him at the foot of the oversized bed. I crawled under the covers and relaxed into the mattress. I stared at the ceiling and wished that Alice was here for me to talk to. The moon shed a small streak of light across the floor. I turned to face the window and gazed at the star painted sky. I fell asleep thinking of Alice and hoping she was better off than I was.

**A/N: So I threw you a bone! It may not have been an all out throbbing one, but just a tease. ^_^ I will be doing an Alice point of view as an outtake. I'm working on it and hope to have it done here pretty soon! Leave me some lovin', hatin', appraisin', masturbatin'...okay, that rhyme scheme went too far. ***hugs!*** YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! aeb12484 ^_^**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It does however own me.**

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter took a bit longer than the others. I was having another hard time with it. Thank you to my super beta, Oceanwaters2006. You are so wonderful and I appreciate you so much. And another thank you to MeIshAlice for being my pre-reader and dealing with my psychotic rantings.**

**Playlist: My Army by Siva Addiction, One Track Mind by Papa Roach, Make Me Wanna Die by The Pretty Reckless, Cynical by Testing Tomorrow, Within Me by Madside, Fight by Ghost of Gloria, Fear by Burning Yesterday feat. Brad Noah, Switch by Kronicles**

**Chapter 14-**

I felt a small tongue licking the tip of my nose and sat up from the bed. Kirby sat on the blanket next to me and wagged his tail happily. I looked at the alarm clock and groaned. It was 5 am.

"Do you have any concept of time?"

Kirby just wagged his tail and started to hop around the bed. He definitely had to go outside. I begrudgingly flung the comforter away from my body and got out of bed. I picked Kirby up and carried him all the way to the door leading in to the backyard. There was a slight chill in the morning air that stung as it filled my lungs. The sun was starting to peek over the mountains and I smiled to myself, happy that I had made it through another day. Now that Jess was gone, it felt like the days were so much longer than normal. I leaned forward on the porch railing and looked out into the gigantic backyard, taking in the natural beauty.

Jess would have loved it up here. She was always so into nature and being outdoors. I felt my throat start to tighten up and my eyes started to burn with the threat of building tears. I knew there was still so much I was holding onto, but I didn't want to let it go. I wanted to hold onto the hurt and pain because it reminded me that it was all real. Everything that happened was real.

I heard the door slide open and the porch creaked behind me. I turned and smiled when I saw Edward behind me. His hair was mussed and his eyes were still clouded with sleep. He still looked like a God.

"What are you doing up this early? You should still be catching up on the sleep you lost from all of that driving."

"I heard you get up and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Sorry I woke you. Kirby needed to go out. He has no concept of time."

"It's okay. I can always sleep later."

I nodded and looked back out at the sun coming over the mountains. The light started to illuminate the yard and fell along the side of the house.

"You didn't answer me."

I turned back to Edward and was genuinely confused, "What are you talking about?"

"If you were okay. You looked like you were upset before I came out."

I felt the question form on my face before I could stop it.

"I was watching you before I came outside."

"That's a little creepy, and I'm okay."

"Bella, you don't have to keep doing this. It's okay for you to let your guard down around me."

"Edward, I appreciate that you're looking out for me, but really, this is something I need to let out slowly. Jess was a huge part of my life and if I just let everything out all at once, it would be too much for me to handle."

"I understand, but I'm here for you to talk to. You're not alone."

I moved towards Edward and wrapped my arms around him, "Thank you, Edward."

I felt him hesitate for just a second before his arms went around my waist. I closed my eyes and inhaled his cologne. His arms felt so perfect around me. I didn't want to put myself in the same situation as last night and get rejected, so I pushed myself away.

"I think I'm going to go back to sleep for a little while. Sorry again for waking you up."

"Don't worry about it. I'll probably go back to bed too."

Kirby bounded up the stairs and stopped at Edward's feet. His tiny paw scratched at Edward's foot and waited for him to pick him up. Edward scooped Kirby up and carried him inside. I followed behind Edward and shamelessly stared at his ass. I walked up the stairs and shuffled into my bedroom. Edward sat Kirby on the floor and Kirby stayed by his feet.

"Kirby, come on. Let's go back to bed."

I waited by my door, but Kirby stayed by Edward's feet.

"He can sleep in here with me, I don't mind."

"Okay, but if he gets to be a pain you can just let him back in my room."

"He should be fine. I think we're becoming fast friends."

Edward opened the door to his room and Kirby scrambled in. Edward turned back to me before walking in himself.

"We don't have anything planned for the day, so don't feel the need to get up if you don't want."

"Alright, um…sweet dreams."

Edward smiled and ran a hand through his hair, "You too."

I stepped into my room and closed the door. The giant bed beckoned me to it and I shamelessly gave in. I pulled the covers over me and closed my eyes.

I felt two hands gripping my shoulders and shaking me awake.

"Bella! You're having a nightmare."

My eyes opened and I looked around the room. Edward was leaning over the bed and smoothing my hair away from my face. Everything felt so real. It was the same dream I had had in the car. And just like the last time, I woke up right after the gun went off. Edward sat on the edge of my bed and just stared at me.

"Are you okay? It sounded like one hell of a nightmare."

"Yeah, it was the same dream I had in the car. It felt so real."

Edward climbed up on the bed and sat next to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I sat up and turned towards him, "Not really. Sorry I woke you up again."

Edward leaned back against the headboard and smiled, "It's okay, Bella. I was already up anyways."

He reached down and grabbed my hand in his. I looked down at his hand and smiled. I felt his free hand brush my hair back from my shoulders. His hand lingered on my shoulder for a few seconds before he pulled himself away from me completely. The bed shifted as he got up quickly.

"I'm going to go make breakfast, if you feel like joining me."

"Sure, I just need to change and I'll be right down."

Edward turned and almost ran out of the room. His behavior was extremely odd. I cupped my hand in front of my mouth and did a quick breath check. Not the most pleasant, but not bad enough to send a federal agent fleeing from a room. I jumped out of bed and stretched my arms above my head. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror and let out a disgusted groan. I was a hot mess. I would run away from me too. I rummaged through my bags and grabbed some clothes and my shower bag. I peeked out into the hallway and made sure Edward wasn't around before I made a mad dash to the bathroom.

I showered quickly and changed before I fixed my makeup. When I opened the bathroom door, my nose was invaded by the smell of eggs and bacon. I peeked over the banister and looked into the kitchen. Edward was moving back and forth between two pans. Even under his clothes, I could see his muscles flexing as he moved around. He really was a magnificent creature. He was gorgeous, sweet, caring, and smart. I knew that we had decided to just be friends for now, but that wasn't enough. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I was going to enjoy my time. I had already lost so much, I deserved some happiness. Damn it.

EPOV

I moved around the kitchen and busied myself thinking about making breakfast. I turned the bacon and moved the scrambled eggs around the pan. I paused for a second and my thoughts were instantly flooded with Bella. She had scared the shit out of me again with her nightmare. She had looked so panicked and sounded frantic. I hated that she was being tormented in her sleep. That was the only place I couldn't protect her. I moved the eggs around again and went back to thinking of Bella.

The night before had been close. I had almost lost it. Everything about her screamed 'sex'. It's like she had been made just for me and was now being dangled in front of my face to taunt me. I was ready to claim her as mine, but at the last second, I forced myself to stop. When I felt her hands moving to unbutton my jeans, I froze. My mind went back to seeing the terrified look on her face when we were attacked at the safe house in Arizona. I couldn't let that happen again. As much as I wanted to spend the rest of the night buried inside of her, I had to do the right thing and stop.

I tried to clear my head and focus on making breakfast. I heard the bathroom door open and a smile instantly spread across my face. I knew that Bella would be downstairs soon. Just the thought of being near her made me feel like a six year old on Christmas morning. I heard the stairs creak and I quickly checked my reflection in the metal spoon I was holding.

_Wait. What in the hell am I doing? _

Bella walked into the kitchen and looked damn near perfect. Her hair was still damp from her shower and her face had very little makeup on. The deep v in her shirt blatantly displayed her cleavage. She was a Goddess. I realized I was staring when Bella cleared her throat. I stumbled over myself and tried to busy myself with the pans on the stove.

"Do you need help with anything?"

"No, I'm just about done with everything."

Bella hopped up on the counter by the sink and watched attentively as I finished breakfast. I tried to ignore the fact that I could smell the fresh scent of her shampoo and the light floral of her perfume, but it had surrounded me. I needed a distraction.

"So I'm thinking about heading in to town later and picking up some things. Start thinking about things that you need so we can get done quickly."

"What kind of things?"

"Food, clothes, movies, whatever you need."

"I can think of a few things."

There was a note of mischief in Bella's voice. It both excited and scared the shit out of me.

"We can leave after breakfast if you're ready."

"Yep, I'm good to go."

I pulled the pans from the stove and set them on the pot holders on the counter. Bella was already moving to get the plates from the cupboard. I couldn't deny that we worked very well together. Bella and I ate mostly in silence. I would glance up at her every now and then. She only caught me staring at her two times. I was being absolutely ridiculous. Bella would easily be the end of me.

I closed the door to the SUV and put my sunglasses on before walking over to the passenger side to open Bella's door. I looked around the sidewalks to make sure they were clear before I let Bella get out of the vehicle. She hopped out and instantly took my hand into her's. A wickedly innocent smile spread across her face.

"We're married, remember? We just can't keep our hands off of each other, Matthew."

"Don't push it, Allison."

"Just trying to make it look authentic. Where do we need to go first?"

"Clothing first and then we'll go get some more groceries."

"Lead the way, hubs."

I had to act stern. I didn't want to, but I had too. Bella was taking way too much enjoyment out of this and one of us had to try and keep a level head. I still couldn't tell if she was just messing with me, trying to get even for the night before, or if she was serious. It could be worse, it could be all of them. The thought lingered as we entered the first store. Bella let go of my hand and looked around at the racks of clothing. She grabbed a few things and made her way to the dressing room. She drew the curtain closed and I watched as her jeans slid down her legs. I could only see from her knees down, but damn, she had gorgeous calves. I felt like a total perv. I was getting turned on by her calves.

_Who the fuck gets off on that?_

I went back to looking at the clothing and grabbing a few shirts. I was busy looking at jeans when a felt someone tap on my shoulder. I spun around and was greeted by a small woman.

"Hi. Are you finding everything alright?"

I nodded and lifted my hand to show the number of items I was holding, "Yes, thank you."

"Well if you need anything, at all, let me know."

"Thank you, I will."

The sales girl's blatant flirting was very obnoxious and shameless. She had watched Bella and I come in together but that didn't stop her from flirting with me. How any woman could act that desperate was beyond me. She sauntered off and exaggeratedly swayed her hips. I shook my head and went back to looking at the stack of jeans, grabbing a few pair before quickly escaping the glances of the sales girl. I drew the curtain closed and prayed that she wasn't desperate enough to barge in on me.

I tried everything on before folding each item and getting dressed again. When I pulled the curtain back, I saw Bella walking away from the sales girl with a very pleased smile on her face and a shopping bag in hand. It wasn't until I saw the paled expression on the sales girl's face that I knew Bella had been up to no good. Bella walked happily over to me and smiled brightly. I looked back up at the sales girl and then back to Bella. The girl looked absolutely petrified.

"What did you do?"

"She and I came to an understanding."

"What did you do?" I asked again, punctuating each word.

"I simply told her that you were my husband and I didn't appreciate her coming on to you. It's as simple as that."

I looked back up at the sales girl, she hadn't looked at me since I came out of the dressing room.

"What else did you say to her? She looks like she's about to throw up."

"I may have told her not to fuck with my man or I would show her what her kidney looks like if she hit on you again. No big."

I kept my voice a harsh whisper, "You can't threaten people like that! Low and inconspicuous. Threatening disembowelment is not keeping a low profile."

Bella smiled and shrugged, "It won't happen again."

I took my items to the counter and paid for them, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. I bid the sales girl a good day and left the store with Bella by my side. Though I didn't approve of Bella's method, I did like her spunk. I was always a sucker for a feisty girl.

I placed the last of the grocery bags on the counter while Bella got to work putting everything away. We moved effortlessly around each other and quickly cleared the counter. Bella stepped around me and stopped in front of the stairs and turned back to me.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be right back."

Bella ran up the stairs and I watched her go. A sudden twinge of panic hit the pit of my stomach.

_Why was Bella changing? Dear God, what was she changing in to?_

I paced around the kitchen and braced myself for the apocalypse. After the no bra thing she had pulled the night before, I was a little afraid of what she was going to pull this time. If I didn't know any better, I would swear she was doing everything on purpose just to tease me. I froze when I heard Bella's footsteps. What new torture was she bestowing on me this time? I tried to act like I was wiping the counters down as she walked up to the counter.

_Don't look up. Don't look up. Don't look up…._

"I'll be in the exercise room if you need me."

I kept my head down and nodded. I waited for a few seconds before I looked up. Bella was walking away and fuck me. She was wearing tight black yoga pants and a white sports bra. I bit my lip and forced myself not to groan. Bella had one of the best asses I'd ever seen. I could see several tattoos on her. The first one I noticed because of it's close proximity to her ass was on her side. It started as a black star and had a trail of smaller stars coming off of it. My eyes trailed up and I noticed a small fleur de lis on the back of her neck that I had never seen before since Bella usually wore her hair down. I unabashedly stared at her as she walked away. Bella suddenly turned around and smiled at me, catching me staring. That raised the tally to three.

**BPOV**

Edward didn't even bother looking up from cleaning the counter. I slowly turned and walked away, counting silently in my head.

_1...2...3..._

I looked back and caught Edward contently staring at my ass. I smiled at him and went back to walking away. I may have walked a little slower than usual, but I had a captive audience to think about. I entered the workout room and got on the treadmill. The machine flashed to life and I set a steady pace for myself. I spent the first half mile focused on running. After that, my thoughts were fully on Edward. I had to get a solid plan. I knew Edward wouldn't go willingly, so I had to coax him. It was too bad I didn't have Alice to talk to about this. She always had great ideas when it came to seducing men. I looked at the display on the treadmill as it flashed a mile and a half. I didn't even realize that I had run that much.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Edward's voice startled me and caused me to stumble into the front of the treadmill. I quickly hopped to straddle the moving belt so I wouldn't go flying into the wall. That was the last thing I needed.

"Hi, no, uh go right ahead. I was done on the treadmill if you want to use it."

I pushed the buttons quickly and jumped off of the treadmill. Edward moved around me and stepped on to the treadmill, leaving a trail of his cologne behind.

_Focus! There's seducing that needs to be done!_

I cleared my head and looked around the room, carefully calculating my next move. Naturally, I walked towards the corner of the room and I unraveled a yoga mat and started stretching. I had only done yoga once before because Alice and Jess forced me to go with them. I tried to remember as many yoga poses as possible, which wasn't many.

_Well, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit. _

I bent and stretched myself in awkward ways that I guessed could be construed as yoga poses. All that really mattered was teasing Edward. I bent over at the waist and touched my palms on the floor. I heard a muffled groan from behind me. I straightened into a standing position and smiled. Mission accomplished.

I stared at my reflection, carefully contemplating my next move. I knew I was going a little above and beyond, but I was sick of being sexually frustrated. I liked Edward and he liked me. He was just too chicken shit to do anything about it. He just needed a little push in the right direction. I gave myself one more glance, a quick affirmation and left my room. Edward was sitting on the giant sofa with Kirby curled up beside him. I adjust my top and my small booty shorts, making sure they weren't crawling into places they shouldn't be. I took a deep breath and descended the stairs. Edward was still afraid to look up at me. I think he was catching on to what I was doing.

"Hey, I think I'm going to go take advantage of the hot tub."

Upon mentioning the hot tub, Edward's head shot up. I acted nonchalant while his eyes bulged out of his head. I stood in the same spot, waiting for him to say something, but he never did. I shifted awkwardly before I turned and walked to the patio door. The interaction hadn't gone how I had played it out in my head.

I shrugged it off and shimmied out of my booty shorts. I turned the hot tub lights on and tested the water with my toe. The water was perfect. I slowly slid into the hot tub and leaned up against the wall. If I couldn't successfully seduce Edward, I would atleast take this time to relax. Seducing such a head strong male was hard work.

I looked up into the night sky and closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by Kirby staring down at me. I didn't remember him following me outside. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bottle of beer being placed on the patio.

"I thought you could use something to help you relax."

Edward sat cross legged by the edge of the hot tub, holding a beer in his hand. I picked up the chilled bottle and took a long swig from it. I wasn't usually a beer drinker, but I wasn't going to refuse a drink from a gorgeous man.

"It's so nice out here. I've never seen this many stars before."

"That's something I loved about growing up in this area. Good people and great scenery."

"You grew up here?"

"Yes. My dad was moving us around until I was about ten. Then we came to Montana and it just stuck."

"What made your dad want to stay here?"

"I think it was after my mom died. A year after we got here, she was diagnosed with cancer. She loved being here and I think her love of the area is what kept him here."

"I'm really sorry, Edward. That's horrible to lose your mother that early in life."

"It's okay. It was hard, it still is, but she gave me so much in the eleven years she was in my life. And it's good to know you have someone looking out for you."

"Very true. Edward, when you say when you got here, do you mean Belgrade?"

"No, we lived in Bozeman. It's not far from here."

"Oh. Is he still in Montana?"

"I don't know. I haven't talked to or seen my dad in nine years."

"Nine years? Why?"

Edward looked down at his lap and took a drink of his beer.

"I'm sorry, that was really rude of me. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It's okay. He and I grew apart when I was in high school. I didn't want to follow in his foot steps. I've always wanted to work in law enforcement. And I like protecting people. I think it stems from not being able to protect my mom."

"Edward, there was nothing you could do to protect her. You were so young when she got sick."

"I know, but it's just something that you think of when you're a kid. You just hope that loving someone enough will be enough to keep them with you."

"But you know that there's nothing you could have done."

"I know that now, but I know that that's why I ended up on this career path. And I'm glad that I did. I wouldn't want a different life for myself."

I shifted in the water and turned to face Edward more fully.

"But don't you ever want a family?"

"I don't know. I've never given that any thought, really."

"Why not?"

"I guess it's just something that I didn't think would happen for me."

"So you just put it on the back burner and focused on your job?"

"Pretty much."

"That's almost sad."

"Depends on who you talk to about it."

"Well right now, you're talking to me about it."

"Have you ever thought of starting a family?"

"Absolutely. It's something I've always thought of and knew I wanted eventually."

"I guess it's just hard to think of the future when you're in this line of work. Constantly moving around and putting yourself in danger, it's not the type of life I want to share with anyone."

"That makes sense."

"So I heard from the Sergeant."

"What did he tell you?"

The words came out before I could stop them. I almost didn't want to know what Edward found out.

"He has been keeping me up on the investigation. They have interviewed almost every officer in that department. Everyone seems to be oblivious."

"But what about other precincts? It wasn't just the one Jess worked for. I know there were officers from different agencies involved."

"I know. But it's hard to determine which agencies and which officers were involved with out any proof."

I felt sick to my stomach. Of course they needed proof. There was proof, but I let it slip out of my hands. I had royally fucked up.

"What are they going to do then?"

"They're going to keep investigating. But until something else comes up, we have to keep you here."

"Can we change the topic? This is simultaneously pissing me off and making me want to cry."

"So how about this weather?" Edward said without missing a beat.

I smiled up at him and shrugged, "Its okay, I suppose, if you like seasons."

"I don't. It's nice to visit seasons, but I don't like living in them."

"Well at this rate, we'll be here when it starts snowing."

"Bella, it's September in Montana. It could start snowing tomorrow."

"It's a good thing we have a stocked up cabin then."

"It's good to be prepared."

I could feel myself starting to get dizzy from the heat.

"I think I need to get out before I get heat stroke."

I stood up grabbed a towel from the basket beside the hot tub. I had almost forgotten that I was wearing a slutty bikini until I saw the expression on Edward's face. I wrapped the towel around myself and stepped out of the tub. I picked up my shorts and turned to walk inside. Kirby was happily following by my side. I stopped at the door and turned back to Edward.

"Are you coming? I was thinking we could veg out and watch a movie."

"Yeah, that sounds good. Just give me a second, I want to enjoy this weather for a little bit longer."

"Okay."

I opened the door and stepped inside. I smiled to myself while I went up the stairs. Enjoying the weather, my ass.

**A/N: Can we all say it together? Filler chapter! I gotta move it along somehow. And remember, reviews make me happy. A happy writer is a fast writer ^_~ Love all of you!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters or anything for that matter. **

**A/N: I am so sorry that it has taken so long for this chapter to get done. I will give my reason at the end so I don't ruin anything. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and stuck with me through this. I love all of you so very much and appreciate all of you. Much love to my beta, Oceanwaters2006, I simply adore you and appreciate everything you do for me to make this story happen. ***hugs*** **

**You can follow me on twitter aeb12484**

**Alrighty everyone! ENJOY!**

**Playlist: Heaven Sent by Hinder, All That I Can Do by Electric Crush, Hush by Mercy Fall, Ordinary Girl by Earshot, Make Me Bad by Korn, So Far Away by Crossfade, Shadow of a Doubt by Copper, Fallen by Denial Method, My Evil Eye by Pound**

**Chapter 15 -**

I stared up at the ceiling. I couldn't sleep. Lately, I hadn't been able to sleep past five in the morning. Kirby had slept in Edward's room, in hopes that I would be able to sleep in later than five. I rolled to my side and glared at the clock. The red numbers had just changed to show 5:28 am. I needed to clear my head. I pushed the blankets off of me and walked over to my closet. I pulled the first sweater I saw off of the hanger and put it on.

Slowly, I opened my bedroom door and peered out into the hallway. I had been waking Edward up for several days by moving around too much. I walked carefully down the hallway and down the stairs. The living room was dimly lit by the rising sun. I stood in one place and looked around. It was dead quiet. I was getting so sick of hearing nothing. I had to get out of the house. I slipped my shoes on and carefully opened the door and started walking.

I looked back at the house. I could still see the tip of the chimney as I walked along the side of the small lake. I felt the sun warming my shoulders. The air was still crisp and had a slight morning chill. It was so peaceful up here, but I missed Alice. I missed the hustle of the big city. I missed being able to have a normal life. I turned and faced the lake and let out a heavy sigh. The water glistened in the soft morning light. Millions of people were starting their day as normal, not really appreciating the beauty of their freedom or the possibility the day held for them. My days were planned out and decided for me. I couldn't do anything without approval. I couldn't even go out and get coffee without having Edward with me for fear that I'd been found. He wouldn't even tell me what was going on with the case. That was the worst part. I had to sit and wait and know nothing.

I forced myself not to dwell on something I couldn't control. It wouldn't help anything and it would only serve to drive me crazy and Edward was doing that just fine on his own. The man was an island. No matter what I tried, it didn't get to him. Working out in my tight yoga pants, prancing around in a bikini and booty shorts, tanning in almost nothing, and just generally being near him. We had been in Montana for two weeks now and he was really sticking to his guns this time. Though I did appreciate that he was putting my safety first, I was sexually frustrated as hell. I felt like I could burst at any given second. I needed to clear my head. I focused on taking deep breaths and relaxing. Every breath I took made me think of Edward's breath on my neck, his hands running down my back….

I opened my eyes and let out a loud and frustrated groan. I kicked a small rock into the lake and watched as the ripples spread outward.

_Just breathe and forget about him. _

"Bella!"

A strong hand clamped on my upper arm and span me away from the lake. I was met with a very angry looking Edward.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't just wander off like that! How in the fuck am I supposed to protect you when you leave the house without me knowing?"

"I'm sorry, I just wanted some breathing room."

Edward didn't listen to my explanation for walking away from the house. Instead, his grip on my arm tightened and he began dragging me back to the house. His breathing was labored and the expression on his face was pure infuriation. I stumbled behind him and tried to keep up with his pace.

"Edward! Slow down!"

Instead of slowing down, he kept a solid pace. The back porch came in to view and Edward pulled me up the stairs behind him. He let go of my arm long enough to unlock the door and push me inside. The door slammed behind him and I was surprised it didn't break. I stood motionless, afraid to do anything. I had never seen Edward this upset, much less being the cause of his anger. Edward's hand grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me up the stairs. Edward took two at a time, forcing me to do the same. Edward pulled me towards my room and pushed me inside. He closed the door and I didn't move. Edward slowly turned away from the door to face me. He took a few steps closer to me and was just a foot away from me. The muscles of his jaw twitched under his skin.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I wasn't thinking…"

"Do you have any fucking clue how worried I was? What I thought had happened to you?"

"Edward, I said I was sorry."

I was swiftly cut off by Edward's mouth covering mine. His hands gripped my shoulders and held me to him. He pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

"Don't ever do that to me again."

I was stunned and confused. Not really knowing what to do at that moment, I just nodded quickly and then Edward's lips were on mine again. The kiss was hard and fast. A million things were running through my head. Edward's hands cupped my face as he deepened the kiss. I gasped in surprise when I felt his tongue teasing my bottom lip. He took the opportunity and his tongue openly explored my mouth. My head was spinning, but a moment of clarity made me push him away from me.

"Edward, I can't do this. Not if you're just going to stop again. I can't handle you teasing me and then walking away and acting like you don't care and nothing ever happened. I like you, but I've been through enough in the last few weeks, I can't take anymore rejection from you."

"Bella, I can't stop anymore. I want you and I'm sick of denying myself of having you."

That was all it took for my inner slut to come fully to life. My hands fisted in Edward's shirt and I pushed him up against the wall. I stood on my tip toes and kissed him with everything I had in me. Edward groaned into my mouth and pulled me closer. His hands moved to pull my sweater off of my shoulders. Edward's hands left goosebumps in their wake, despite the warm air in the room. Even though my body was lined up perfectly to Edward's, I still wasn't close enough. Edward could sense my urgency. I was suddenly lifted from the floor and I felt my back press into the wall. Edward ground his hips into my core and I sighed into his mouth. The feeling was overwhelming. I pulled my mouth away from his and leaned my head against the wall. Edward's lips trailed along my jaw and down to my neck. My hands tangled in his hair and held his lips to my neck.

I shamelessly moaned when he thrusted his hips forward. I could feel his erection through his jeans. The butterflies in my stomach were replaced by a slow burn that started to radiate through out my body.

"Bed, Edward, move to the bed."

I was pulled away from the wall as Edward blindly stumbled across the room until his knees hit the bed. He turned and sat on the edge of the bed and I adjusted myself so I was straddling him. Our eyes locked and I froze. I gazed into the depths of green and started to feel myself get dizzy.

"Edward, this is your last chance to stop."

"I'm not stopping, unless you want to."

Uncertainty was painted across his face. His brows furrowed as he looked into my eyes. I shook my head and smiled down at him.

"I have no plans of stopping."

Edward smiled up at me and tangled his hand in my hair, pulling my mouth to his. I was immediately consumed by everything Edward. My senses were filled with him. I felt his hands relentlessly holding me to him. I could hear the soft groans emanating from his throat when I would push my hips into him. His scent surrounded me and made me light headed. His mouth tasted like mint and honey. And I would have been able to look him in the eye if my eyes hadn't rolled into the back of my head at this point.

My hands trailed down his back and I started tugging on the hem of his shirt. Edward obediently lifted his arms above his head so I could pull his shirt off. I flung the shirt across the room and was immediately flipped onto my back. Edward held my arms above my head as his lips trailed down my neck. My back arched on it's own accord when Edward's lips touched my collarbone. One of Edward's hands held my wrists together, keeping my arms above my head. His free hand ran along my ribcage and stopped at my hip. Edward looked up and into my eyes. I could sense his hesitation.

"Edward, you've been holding back long enough. I want you. Please don't make me wait anymore."

Edward released my arms and gripped the hem of my shirt. His hands slowly started pulling my tank top up and over my body. I arched to allow him to slip it past my shoulder blades and up the length of my arms. Edward looked down at me and smiled.

"You are so beautiful."

I could feel the blush spread across my cheeks and tried to hide my face in my hands. Edward gently pulled my hands away from my face and held them beside my head.

"You don't have to be so coy. Besides, I don't remember you being this shy when you were parading around in that bikini."

Damn it. He was right. Why in the hell should I be acting shy now? This is what I wanted and I'm not going to ruin it by being bashful right now.

"You make a good point."

Edward smiled and leaned down to place a kiss on my neck. I leaned my head to the side to allow him more access. One of his hands left my arm and moved to cup my cheek. Instinctively, my hand went to his hair and held him to me. I felt one of my bra straps slip down my arm, Edward's lips following close behind. Edward's lips moved from my arm and went to the top of my cleavage. I couldn't help squirming underneath him. Edward smiled against my skin and gingerly bit the top of my breast.

"Edward, please."

I wasn't usually the type to beg, but I couldn't help it with Edward. Everything felt so different with him. Edward scooted away from me and pulled me up to a sitting position. I was starting to get sick of being in the passenger seat. While I still had the nerve, I pushed Edward onto his back and straddled him again. Edward's hands held my hips and he smiled up at me. I smiled back at him and reached my arms behind me and grasped my bra clasp.

_No time to chicken out now. Stop being a pussy._

My subconscious was right again. Now or never. I slipped the hooks out of the loops and held the bra to me with one arm while slipping my other arm out of the strap. Switching arms, I freed my other arm of the other strap. I slowly lowered the bra from me and dropped it on the floor beside the bed. Edward's eyes had grown about two times their normal size. He pushed up to a sitting position and cupped my face in his hands.

"Bella, you're perfect."

"There's no need for flattery, Mr. Cullen. You will be getting into my pants."

"Speaking of pants, I think they've worn out their welcome."

Edward reached between us and undid his pants before make quick work of mine. I jumped off of the bed and pushed my jeans down my legs and kicked them off of my feet. Edward stood in front of me and discarded his jeans. I wanted to be polite, but I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering downward. To my disappointment, Edward still had boxer briefs on. Edward cleared his throat and I looked back up at him.

"Are you disappointed?"

"Yes. I was hoping you went commando."

"I could say the same, but those panties are the next best thing."

"You haven't even seen the back of them."

I turned and shook my ass at Edward, showing of the back of the thong. There wasn't anything special on the back of it, but it gave me a reason to show off my ass. I heard a low animal like growl come from Edward before his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I could feel his erection, firm against my backside, and gasped.

"I'll be right back, I have to do this now before I'm too far gone."

Edward ran out of my room in a flash, leaving me confused and standing by the bed. Within a matter of seconds, Edward was back and holding a box of condoms in his hand.

"Sorry, I just want to make sure we have everything we need so we don't have to stop again."

Edward placed the box on the bedside table and pulled me into his arms. While Edward was placing kisses along the side of my neck, I glanced at the black box that was now occupying my nightstand. It was a normal box of condoms except one word caught my attention. _Magnum_. Holy mother of God, MAGNUM!

_Not only is he gorgeous, smart, funny, and has an amazing body. He is also packing some serious heat…JACKPOT!_

Edward could tell that I was distracted and pulled back.

"Are you okay?"

"More than okay."

I pushed Edward onto the bed and followed him down. Edward rolled over and pinned me to the mattress. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer to me. His mouth covered mine in another scorching kiss. He sucked and bit at my lips while his hands moved to cup my breasts. I moaned into his mouth as his fingers pinched my nipples. I pulled away to try and catch my breath. Edward took the opportunity to trail his tongue down to the valley between my breasts. When he took one of my nipples into his mouth, I cried out his name. Edward's tongue and fingers continued to lavish my nipples with attention. I thought I would go crazy if he continued but I would kill him if he stopped.

My hands moved down his back and I hooked my fingers in the waistband of his boxer briefs. I pushed them as far down his legs that I could reach and then used my feet to pull them the rest of the way off. Edward's mouth left my breasts and moved down my stomach. He placed light kisses on each of my hips and paused to run his tongue along the outline of my tattoo. Edward kissed my inner thighs and I nearly shot off of the bed when I felt his tongue run along the fabric that was still covering me. Edward began to pull the thong down my legs and it took everything I had not to hurriedly kick it off. Edward kissed his way back up my legs and stopped at my inner thigh. He looked up at me with an evil glint in his eyes before his tongue darted out and ran along my entrance.

I moaned loudly and arched my back, driving my hips closer to his mouth. The pressure of his lips sent pulses of heat singing through my nerve endings. Edward slowly slipped one finger inside of me, causing me to cry out again. I was very thankful that our closest neighbor was 2 miles away. Edward pumped his finger in and out of me while his tongue made slow and forceful circles along my clit. Edward slipped another finger inside of me and my hips bucked against him. My stomach muscles started to spasm as my orgasm continued building. Edward increased the pressure with his tongue and started curling his fingers inside of me.

My orgasm blindsided me and shot through my body. My hands fisted in the comforter as I arched my back and screamed Edward's name. My breathe was coming out in uneven pants. Edward was now hovering above me and smiling down at me. Reaching up, I pulled him down to me and kissed him with everything I had in me. Our tongues mingled together and I could taste myself on him. It was one of the most erotic sensations. One of my hands went rogue and made it's way down Edward's side and moved to grasp him, but his hand shot out and stopped me.

"Bella, I don't think I can wait any longer to have you. And if you do that right now, I will be too far gone. I need to be inside of you."

Though I wanted my turn at playing with Edward, I knew we would have time for that later. He was right, we had waited long enough. The sexual tension had been far too great for far too long.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Edward ripped the box of condoms open and pulled a condom from the strip. While he busied himself with the task, I took him in for the first time. He was magnificent and perfect. If Edward ever wanted to retire as an agent, he could easily work in porn. I bit my lower lip and looked up at him. He was about to rip the condom packet open when I pushed him onto his back. I knew he said he didn't want me to, but I couldn't help it. I had to taste him. I slid down his abdomen grasped his cock in one hand and smiled up at him.

"Bella, you don't have to do this."

"I want to. I need to."

Edward watched as I ran my tongue along his length before taking him into my mouth. My mouth and hand started to work in tandem on him and his loud moan was my reward. I swirled my tongue around him before taking as much of him in my mouth that I could. He fisted his hand in my hair as I moved my mouth around him. I slowly moved up and let him slip out of my mouth. Edward groaned and before I could get my mouth near him again, Edward pulled me up to him and gave me a chaste kiss.

"Bella, I need you. I can't wait any longer."

Edward rolled us so I was on my back again. I heard the condom wrapper getting torn open and watched as Edward rolled the condom on. He positioned himself at my entrance and stopped. Edward leaned down and kissed me with so much intensity, it made my head spin. He held me to him and I felt him slowly enter me. I pulled away from Edward and gasped at the sensation that was taking over me. Edward drew back and thrust into me more fully. Our moans mingled in the room and Edward started to move more purposefully. For every downward thrust, my hips bucked toward him in an attempt to take more of him into me.

"God, Bella, you feel so good."

"Harder, Edward. Please don't hold back."

Edward obliged my pleas and started to drive into me more forcefully. I cried out and arched to try and get closer to him. Edward leaned down and took one of my nipples into his mouth and grazed it with his teeth. The tempo had become hard and fast and full of need. Our breathing had turned into a ragged symphony that surrounded us. The slowburn had started to run through my veins again and I could feel my orgasm getting closer. My eyes met Edward's and I watched as he licked his thumb and brought it between us to start rubbing small circles on my clit. I was so close.

"I want to see you cum, Bella. I want to feel your pussy milking my cock."

All he had to do was ask. My orgasm ripped through my body and I shuddered underneath Edward as it overtook me. Edward stiffened above me and gritted his teeth. My name was a low uttered curse from his mouth and his was a pleading cry from mine. Edward collapsed on top of me and I held him to me until our breathing slowed. Edward propped himself up on his elbows and smiled down at me. His hand smoothed my hair away from my face and he placed a tender kiss on my forehead.

"That was amazing. Why in the hell did we wait so long to do that?"

"Because you're stubborn and really good at burying your feelings."

"Oh yeah. Bloody fucking shame."

"We can always make up for lost time. We are newlyweds after all."

Edward smiled and nuzzled into my neck, kissing the skin just below my ear. I let out a displeasing moan when he pulled out of me.

"I like that idea."

"So you aren't going to clam up and say that this was a big mistake and act like it never happened?"

"Bella, I could never act like what we just shared never happened. It was incredible."

"Good. Are you ready to start making up for lost time yet?"

Edward laughed and kissed my forehead.

"I may need just a little bit longer."

"Okay. I'll be nice this time, but next time, I'm jumping your ass."

"I agree to those terms and conditions."

I smiled up at Edward and was suddenly hit with a thought.

"Wait a second. If you were so set on being professional, why did you have a whole box of condoms?"

Edward blushed and looked timid.

"I just try to be prepared. I hope you don't think that I thought that way of you. I knew how I felt about you and I wanted to make sure that I was ready for anything."

"I'm glad that you're prepared. The condoms that I bought wouldn't have fit you anyways."

Edward looked at me with a confused look on his face. I probably needed to clarify.

"The other day when we were at the drugstore, I thought that I should get something just in case. I waited until you were distracted to check out so you wouldn't see them."

Edward started laughing and pulled me closer to him.

"What's so funny?"

"That's when I bought mine. I waited until you were checking out at another register to hide them from you."

"Wow, we really think a like."

"Yes we do. And now we have two times more condoms than I thought we had."

I scoffed and looked down between us, "Like I said, I don't think the ones I bought are going to work."

"Well then we'll just have to go stock up then, won't we?"

I felt my insides turn to Jell-o at the thought of being able to sleep with Edward whenever I wanted. It was about fucking time something went my way.

**A/N: And now I can tell you why it took a while to get this chapter out without ruining it. I had a hard time writing this chapter because I just found out that my boyfriend had been cheating on me. It's a little hard to write a lemon when you're pissed off at the male gender. But anyways, I'm much better and I'm glad to be back in the saddle with this story. I love you guys more than I loved him anyways ^_~ Leave me some lovins!**


	16. Alice POV

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured out that Twilight isn't mine yet, I fear for you.

A/N: So this is what or beloved Alice has been up to. Atleast a little bit anyways.

Outtake: APOV

"Sixty five bottle of beer on the wall, sixty five bottles of beer! You take one down, you pass it around, Sixty four bottles of beer on the wall."

"Alice, I swear to God I will pull this car over and beat the crap out of you myself if you don't shut up!"

I looked over at Rosalie and smiled.

"But Rosalie, you're supposed to be protecting me. Why would you want to hurt me?"

"You are so testing my patience."

I smiled to myself and looked out the window again. I felt my inner four year old goading me on.

"Are we there yet?"

I felt my seatbelt tense around me as the car abruptly stopped. Rosalie took her seatbelt off and pushed her door open with such force I was almost sure the door was going to fall off. Rosalie hit the button for the trunk and got out of the car. I was suddenly thinking I may have pushed Rosalie too far. I could hear things moving around in the trunk and started to worry that I might be making the rest of this trip next to my suitcase. The trunk slammed closed and I let out a sigh of relief. Rosalie reappeared, looking completely irritated and about to snap. She slammed something down on the dashboard and pointed at it.

"One more peep out of you, and I will use that."

I looked at the dash and saw the silver sheen of a roll of duct tape. I pursed my lips and nodded. It was probably best not to piss of the chick with a gun. I picked up my folder and went over my material again, making sure I had it memorized. A hint of sadness hit me when I realized I wouldn't have Bella by my side when I got to Texas.

Rosalie pulled up to our new house and my jaw dropped. The place was huge and rustic. A horse run sat to the side of the house and rolling hills provided a dark blue backdrop in the distance. I took my sunglasses off and took in the bright scenery. I walked to the back of the car and retrieved my suitcase. I followed Rosalie up to the front door of the house. She stopped just long enough to punch a code into the security keypad.

"Do I get to know the code?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not allowed to know it."

"Why's that?"

"Alice, I can still go get the duct tape."

I put my hands in the air in a silent surrender. I didn't mind bondage, but I preferred doing it with men. Rosalie pushed the door open and I looked around the huge entryway. It was decorated with rustic and worn wood pieces. I walked past Rosalie and stepped in to the living room. I was in absolute awe. This was by far the nicest place I had ever stayed.

"We're really staying here?"

"Yes."

"Just wanted to make sure."

I placed my bag beside the cream colored sectional. The place was very warm and inviting. I could definitely make myself at home here.

"Alright Alice, go upstairs and pick a room, then come back down here because we have quite a bit to go over."

Rosalie didn't have to tell me twice. I ran up the stairs and looked through all of the bedrooms. The room I picked had a huge king sized bed and an attached bathroom. I threw my suitcase in the room and went back downstairs. Rosalie was sitting on the sectional, holding her papers in her hand. I sat down next to her and waited for her to talk.

"So as of now, you and I are sisters. I'm older than you by 16 months. We grew up in New York. Our parents are happily retired in Florida and we have an older brother. You and I moved here to try and start a new life for ourselves."

"Do I still get to call you my Rosie Posey?"

"No. And if you call me that again, you will be spending the rest of the time here tied up in the basement."

"Will you still feed me?"

"Only enough to keep you alive and semi functional."

"That doesn't sound too promising."

"If you're good, I'll let you stay out here and eat cheesecake."

"There's cheesecake? And you didn't tell me? You are an evil person!"

"There isn't any here, but we can go do a little bit of shopping and stock up. I figure we might as well and try to enjoy our time here somehow."

"Very true. So I guess I'll stop annoying you."

"That would be good if you don't want to get pistol whipped."

"Not so much."

"I'm glad we've reached an understanding."

The doorbell echoed throughout the house. Rosalie jumped up from the couch and pulled her gun from her holster. She motioned for me to stay by the couch while she peered around the corner towards the door.

"I know you're home! I saw you pull up."

Rosalie muttered under her breath and tucked her gun into her waistband.

"Be right there!"

Rosalie looked down right pissed. She turned back towards me and tossed me the car keys.

"Stay hidden. If you hear gunshots, leave through the kitchen and take the car. Whatever you do, don't look back."

I nodded which was the only thing I could do right now. I was frozen to the floor while I watched Rosalie make her way to the door. I could hear the locks being turned and I waited for the worst. The door creaked open and I held my breath.

"Hey there, Rosi!"

"What are you doing here?"

I wasn't sure of what was going on, but I knew it wasn't gunfire. I leaned to the side and barely made out Rosalie being embraced by a man with wavy blonde hair. I moved back to my spot when their embrace broke and I waited like an animal on their rug. Rosalie walked back into the living room followed by one of the most gorgeous men I had ever seen.

"Alice, this is my brother, Agent Jasper Hale."

"Nice to meet you, Alice."

I reached my hand out and mustered up a weak 'hi'. His mouth curled up into a crooked grin and I felt my knees turn into pudding. Delicious, Southern pudding. Things were getting exponentially better.

A/N: Short, I know. But that's why it's an outtake. ^_^ There will be more Alice POV chapters to come. I promise.


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight or anything related to Twilight.**

**A/N: All I can say is, HOLY BEANS! You are all so amazingly awesome. I can not thank you all enough for the response from the last chapter. Thank you for all of the well wishes and the reviews of the chapter. It was hard before since I still don't know many people in Arizona and it was nice to know that I have such wonderful and kind people supporting me. Thank you again! **

**But now I have new drama, which some of you know about. And let me just say, because of the severity of the situation, I won't be airing it on here. I'll some it up to I was recovering from a very very bad car accident. To those of you that know what happened, thank you for your prayers and your support. I can't even tell you how important that is to me.**

**And this is the reserved spot that I thank the amazing woman that makes this story happen, my stellar beta, Oceanwaters2006. Thank you for covering my butt and making sure I don't look like an ass! ^_^**

**I'm on the twitter ^_~ aeb12484**

**Playlist: Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance, Justice by Rev Theory, Give Me A Sign by Breaking Benjamin, Say Goodbye by Run, Maybe by Sick Puppies, Down by Candiria, Without You by Hinder**

Chapter 16-

EPOV

I was in heaven. Plain and simple. I stared up at the ceiling and smiled to myself. Bella had been asleep in my arms for a little over an hour. I knew I had to get up and call Emmett, but it could wait. I was more than content to lay here and listen to Bella's breathing. Besides, it was still early in Arizona. Thank God for time zones. I looked down and smiled when I saw Bella's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful. It was a nice change to the nightmares she had been having recently. It was still hard for me to put myself in her place. I had seen plenty of things in my time, but I had never seen someone I care about hanging from the ceiling.

A tendril of hair fell into her face and I couldn't stop myself from brushing it away. She stirred in my arms and her eyes fluttered open. I felt my smile grow even bigger when she looked up at me. Bella smiled and quickly burrowed her face into the crook of my arm. I heard her mumble something into my arm and I smoothed my hands through her hair.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch that."

Bella tilted her face away from me and covered her mouth with her hand.

"I said that I have bad breath and I probably look horrible."

I pulled her into my arms and moved her hands away from her face. She was breath taking. I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You look gorgeous. If I'm not mistaken, you're glowing."

A pink blush bloomed on her cheeks as she tried to hide her face again.

"You need to stop hiding your face from me. You're far too beautiful to do that."

"If you keep saying stuff like that, I'm going to keep blushing."

"You better get used to it, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."

Bella peeked her head up and I could just barely make out a smile. I pulled her up so she was laying on top of me. I couldn't help my reaction to feeling her weight pressing into me. She smiled up at me and started to wiggle against me.

"You don't play fair, Bella."

"I never said I played fair."

I was more than ready to take Bella over and over again, but I was interrupted by my phone ringing. And I cringed when I recognized the ringtone as the one I had set for Emmett.

"Sorry, I have to get that."

"That's fine. I'm going to go hop in the shower."

Bella placed a quick kiss on my lips and crawled off of the bed, grabbing my shirt to cover herself in. I dug through the pockets of my jeans and retrieved my phone.

"Hey, Emmett."

"Hey, I have some bad news. All of the leads have proven to be dead ends. The only lead left at this point is the surveillance footage from Jessica's apartment. We'll try to identify all of the people coming and going the night of Jessica's murder."

"How much longer do you think I'll have to keep Bella here? She's starting to get restless."

"I wish I could tell you, but it's not safe for her here. As soon as I have an idea or another lead, I'll let you know. How are things going there?"

"Pretty well. Nice and quiet. But like I said, Bella is getting a bit restless. She left the house while I was asleep this morning. Scared the shit out of me. I found her by the pond out back. I thought something had happened to her."

"Did you talk with her about leaving the house and all of the safety issues?"

"Yes I did. I don't think she'll be wandering away from the house again."

Of course, I left out the whole part about the crazy hot monkey sex.

"Good. Do you two need anything else? Are you good on supplies and everything?"

"We have everything we need. We'll probably have to go in to town today and get some more groceries, but other than that, we're fine."

"Alright. I'll let you go, but call me if anything else happens."

"I will. And thanks for the update. I'll try to talk to Bella to see if she remembers anything else from that night and I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"Sounds like a plan."

The line went silent. I liked Emmett, but he didn't have the best phone etiquette. I threw the blanket away from me and climbed out of bed. I could hear the water in the bathroom running and images of Bella in the shower filled my head. I had several options. I could join Bella in the shower or I could let her shower by herself. But what fun would that be? Besides, it's my duty to protect her and if I'm not there, she could fall and get hurt. So this was really for the greater good.

I didn't bother getting dressed. I walked down the hallway and pushed the door to the bathroom open. The small room was filled with steam and the scent of Bella's shampoo. I pushed the curtain back and stepped into the shower. Bella had her back to me and I wrapped my arms around her waist. A small gasp left her lips while I nuzzled the base of her neck.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to join me."

"As if I'd miss this opportunity. Everytime you were in the shower, all I could think of was you being naked and wet. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me not to run in here and jump I with you?"

"I can imagine. I had the same thought process when you were in the shower."

She turned in my arms and draped an arm loosely around my neck. Her eyes were darker, slightly hooded, and very sexy. I couldn't help my reaction to her, it just happened. Bella took notice and glanced down in between us and a slow mischievous smile crept across her face.

"Did you remember to be a good boy scout?"

The meaning behind her statement hit me. Realizing I wasn't prepared, I pulled the shower curtain out of the way and ran from the bathroom to the bedroom completely nude. It only took me a few seconds to grab a strip of condoms and run back into the bathroom. When I jumped back in the shower, Bella was doubled over in laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, I just had a flashback of a streaker at the football game my senior year of high school."

"Well, I guess I ruined the mood then, huh?"

I went to step out of the shower when Bella's small hand clamped on to my arm and pulled me back in and pushed me up against the wall. I was still in a state of shock that someone so small could be so strong that it took me by surprise when her lips covered mine. Bella pulled back and smiled.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you get away that easily."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

BPOV

I sat on the kitchen counter and took a sip of my coffee. Edward stood in front of me and stared at the toaster. I glanced down towards Edward's feet and saw Kirby looking up at him. Kirby looked back and forth between him and I a few times before his gaze settled on me. He looked me over questioningly.

"Don't judge me."

Edward turned and looked at me and then down at Kirby. He shook his head and went back to staring at the toaster. I knew I had to have looked like a crazy person for trying to reason with a dog.

"So when you're done yelling at the dog, you may want to go get ready so we can head in to town."

"Okay. What are we doing today?"

"Well, we need to stop by the drug store and get some more supplies."

I could feel the blush spreading across my face.

"Do you think we could go to the library? The book selection here is pathetic."

Edward and I turned and looked at the sad three self bookcase. I had already blown through the entire collection of novels.

"Yeah, we can do that. And we also need to stop and wash the car. It always bothers me to have a dirty vehicle."

"But it's Autumn in Montana. It'll probably going to start snowing tomorrow and it will get all dirty again."

"It's just something that I do. I blame the academy."

"Okay, if it makes you happy. I'm going to go get ready."

I ran up the stairs and dressed as quickly as I could. The excitement of actually getting to go out in public was taking over. As I was pulling my shirt over my head, I stopped. I was realizing how sad it was that I was looking forward to something as simple as going out and interacting with people. I couldn't tell if that was sad or not. I made my way back down stairs and saw Edward leaning against the counter waiting for me. He was so pretty.

"I'm ready when you are, big boy."

"Baby, I'm always ready."

"I'd like to test that theory."

I stepped toe to toe with Edward and looked him in the eye. He lightly placed his hand on my hip and pulled me closer to him. I felt his lips touch my forehead.

"If we start this now, we won't be able to leave and get the things we need. And trust me, we'll need the supplies with everything I want to do to you."

My heart skipped a beat and I could feel my knees get a little weak. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door. The way I figured it, the sooner we leave, the sooner we could get back. And the sooner we got back, the festivities could commence. I yelled a quick goodbye to Kirby as I threw the door open. He just sat in the hallway and watched as Edward and I left.

The bell to the door chimed as we walked in. Esme stood behind the counter and smiled enthusiastically at us.

"Hi you two! How have you been?"

"Great, Esme. How are you?"

"I woke up breathing, so I can't complain. And a certain someone that I'm interested in is here."

My eyes followed Esme's gaze and saw a man with his back to us. When I looked back at Esme, she was grinning like a five year old on Christmas. Edward squeezed my hand and kissed the side of my head.

"I'll go grab what we need, you can stay here and catch up with Esme."

I smiled and nodded and watched as he walked off. The only thought passing through my head was that he had an amazing ass. It took me a second to remember that I wasn't alone. I turned back to Esme and she was still smiling mindlessly.

"So how long have you been lusting after the hottie?"

"Four years, nine months, and two days."

"I would be lying if I said that wasn't weird. Have you asked him out or atleast talked to him?"

"I try, but I get tongue tied every time. He's just so great."

"Go talk to him. Ask him if he needs help with anything. Just something to start the conversation."

"I don't think I can do that. He's so gorgeous and I'll just embarrass myself."

"Esme, you are a beautiful and sweet person. You can do anything you set your mind to. Now go."

Esme straightened her shirt and marched right over to him. I tried to lean and so I could listen to their conversation, but I couldn't hear much. It was just mumbling and the occasional laugh. It looked promising though. Esme came walking back towards me and had an even bigger smile than before.

"I asked him to dinner and he said yes."

"That's great! I told you you could do it."

I looked back at the unknown man and he was facing us now. He was very good looking and time had been very kind to him. Though his hair had touches of grey, his face was still youthful and free of lines. I could see why Esme was so obsessed with him now. I felt an arm slip around my waist and a warm breath on my neck. I leaned back into Edward and inhaled his scent.

"She's going to think we're both sex addicts with all of the condoms I grabbed."

I looked down into the basket that he was holding and felt the blush start to burn my cheeks. There had to be atleast six boxes of condoms scattered amongst other random items. Edward placed the basket on the counter and Esme started ringing everything up. I noticed the small smile on her face when she got to the half dozen boxes of condoms. I couldn't be sure if it was from talking to the hottie or from the absurd number of boxes of condoms.

I suddenly felt Edward still behind me. When I looked back, he was hiding his face and looking at his feet. My blood ran ice cold and I was worried that we had been found. Edward handed me several bills from his wallet and made his way out of the store. I was left at the counter, confused and scared shitless. If we had been found, there was no way Edward would just leave me to fend for myself against someone that wanted me dead. I looked around the store and didn't see anything other than Esme's hottie standing behind me with a paled expression on his face. I handed Esme the money and waited for my change, still trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. Esme handed my bags to me and leaned over the counter to give me a quick hug. I waved to her as I walked out the door. I didn't let the fact that the man was watching me contently.

I opened the car door and flung the bags on the floor by my feet. Edward's hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly, I could see his knuckles start to turn white.

"Do you want to tell me what in the hell that was all about?"

"Did you see the man in the store?"

"Yes, Esme is pretty much obsessed with him. Why?"

"That's my father."

Edward started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. I looked in the mirror and saw Edward's father come out of the store and watch our SUV pull away.

"Why don't you want to see him?"

"I do, but right now isn't the time to play catch up."

"Why not? It's not like he would say anything, would he?"

"No, I don't think he would. But I don't want to do anything that might put you in danger. I can't handle anymore distractions right now."

Sensing that he didn't want to talk about it anymore, I let the subject drop for now. We drove in silence all the way to the gas station. Edward got out and began filling the tank while I twiddled with the hem of my skirt. I felt bad that Edward was missing out on reconnecting with his father because of me. The car dipped as he got back in and started the engine back up. Before he could put the SUV into gear, I placed my hand over his.

"I'm sorry that I'm keeping you from being able to see your father."

"Bella, you aren't keeping me from anything. I can always see him another time now that I know he's still up here."

I nodded and pulled my hand away from his so he could drive over to the automatic car wash. Even though he said he didn't mind, I still felt bad. Edward slowly pulled into the long tunnel and waited for the track to start moving. He must have sensed my feeling of guilt because he reached his hand over and placed it on my knee.

"Stop worrying. It' s fine."

He leaned over placed a gentle kiss on my lips, lingering just inches from my face. The air in the car changed in an instant. I unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled him towards me. The SUV jerked as the track moved it into the tunnel. The machines whirred to life and jets started spraying multi colored foam all over the car.

"What wash did you get?"

"The ultra supreme."

"Good."

Launching myself from my seat, I swung my leg in the space between the seat and the steering column. I adjusted myself quickly so I was straddling him as my hands started working on the buttons of his shirt.

"Bella, what are you doing? I don't think we have time for this now."

"We will if you stop acting like a pussy."

I pushed his shirt open and ran my lips along his neck. His hands gripped my hips and held me close to him. I fisted my hands in his shirt and pulled him to me again. And just to get the point across, I started to grind down into him. Edward groaned against my lips and I could feel him getting hard through his jeans. I knew we didn't have all that much time, so I needed to move quickly. I pulled my skirt up and started to work on his jeans.

"What if someone can see us?"

"I guess they're about to get a great show."

I leaned to the side and grabbed the bag with the condoms in them. Within seconds I had a condom out and ready to use.

"So do you want to fuck me or are you going to wimp out?"

His eyes darted between mine and the condom I was holding. With a lightening quick snap of his hand, he was holding the condom in his hand. Placing the wrapper between his teeth he wriggled his hips and pushed his jeans and boxers down just far enough for his erection to spring free. I pulled the condom from between his teeth and ripped the packet open, quickly rolling it on to him. I balanced myself with one hand and moved my panties to the side with the other. Edward guided himself to my entrance and plunged into me. We both moaned as I lowered myself further.

He was fully inside of me and I started to move over him. Edward's hands slid under my shirt and cupped my breasts. I arched my back and enjoyed the feeling of being completely engulfed in all things Edward. My sweater was discarded in the backseat and now a distant memory. He pulled at the cups of my bra and freed my breasts, circling a nipple with his tongue. I picked up my pace and ground into him harder. Edward reached a hand in between us and made small circles on my clit. My breath momentarily stuck in my throat.

"I want to hear my name on your lips, Bella."

I couldn't manage to talk at that point. My nerve endings were tingling and I was fully focused on the orgasm I could feel building. The sounds of the brushes hitting the side of the car were effectively covering all of the sounds I was making. One of Edward's hands tangled in my hair and moved my face towards his. Our eyes locked and he surged upwards to meet my downward thrusts. The tension started in my stomach and started to spread outward to my limbs. His fingers moved faster over my clit. My impending orgasm was just out of reach. The water jets started to spray the car, signaling that we were almost through the tunnel.

"Edward, please, make me cum."

My pleading paid off. His fingers began pinching my clit and I felt the fire explode. I arched my back and screamed out his name, still moving above him. He took over then and gripped my hips in his hands. It was like Edward turned into a caveman. Sweat started to form on his brow and he leaned his forehead on to my shoulder. His teeth nipped at my skin and the slight pain mingled with the orgasm still coursing through me. He suddenly stilled and dug his fingers into my hips. His labored breathing told me that he was cumming. Breathless, he leaned back into his seat and a weak smile came across his face.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Trying to distract me from what happened earlier."

"I really didn't intend to jump you in the car wash. It just kind of happened."

"Did you hear me complain?"

"No, that I did not."

"You may want to get your sweater back on. We're almost to the air jets and I'm not sure I like the idea of another man getting to see you like this."

I had to make myself get off of him and retrieve my sweater from the backseat. Edward discarded the condom in a Kleenex and pulled his boxers and jeans back on. By the time we exited the car wash, we were both fully dressed and presentable. No one would be able to tell that we had just had sex. And not just any sex, hot sex. Hot sex in a car while going through a car wash. It had been a good day.

**A/N: HUZAH! Another chapter down! And I can promise that the next chapter will come sooner. Just so long as nothing else traumatic happens. Leave me some lovin'! ***hugs to all of ya*****

**Links to the outfits for this chapter are in my profile. Bella and Edward's.**


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related. *sadness***

**A/N: HELLO AGAIN! Thank you for the wonderful reviews and the concern about my car accident. I really should have stated clearly that I'm okay. So I'm sorry if I scared any of you! And a big thanks to my beta, Oceanwaters2006. You are my light and my rock. You know I love ya!**

**Chapter playlist: The Theft by Atreyu, Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars, 3 Libras by A Perfect Circle, Fly Away From Here by Aerosmith, Tell Me by No Love Lost, Hesitate by Stone Sour, Turn So Cold by Drowning Pool**

**Chapter 17-**

Edward and I were both grinning like idiots while we walked into the library, hand in hand. The afterglow hadn't really had time to wear off since the library was only five minutes away from the car wash. My skin was still tingling. The doors swung open, and the warm air was filled with the scent of aging paper and coffee. It was soothing. Edward leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my lips and smiled.

"Go look around, but make sure to pay attention to your surroundings. I'll come find you in just a minute."

I nodded and walked away from him, slowly. When I looked back at him, his eyes were still fixated on me. Even considering how brazen I was in the car just moments ago, I could still feel the blush moving across my cheeks. I ducked into a row of books and started grabbing random titles. Within a few minutes, my arms were full. While I was looking around the shelves, something caught my eye. There was a desk topped with several computers.

I knew I shouldn't. I took a step closer and looked around to see if Edward was in the area. I didn't see him. I took a few steps and waited, thinking I would feel Edward pull me away, but nothing happened. Before I could talk myself out of it, I quickly sat down at a computer around the back of the desk. The screen lit up and I looked around one more time. Still no Edward. I double clicked the internet icon and waited for the page to fully load. I quickly typed in the website for my email and waited for it load, looking around the whole time.

I put my username and password in and the screen became filled with unread emails. 285 to be exact. The majority were from my parents. I knew that they had been filled in about what was going on, but I knew they were still worried. I couldn't help myself or stop myself from clicking on the latest email. It was from my dad which was surprising since he could barely operate the television. I pushed that out of my head and started reading.

_Bells,_

_I know your mother and I aren't supposed to be emailing you or trying to contact you, but we know that you won't have access to your email. I just needed to say this, just incase…._

_I still remember the day your mother and I brought you home from the hospital. I don't think I drove any faster than ten miles per hour. That first night, I walked into your nursery and just stared at you while you slept. I made a promise to myself and to you that I would always keep you safe and never let anyone hurt you. I feel like I've failed you as a father. I didn't keep you safe from this. I keep trying to think of what I could have done to keep you safe from this, but it only serves to prove that there was something I could have done. You have always been and always will be my precious little girl. Please forgive me for not keeping that promise. I love you and as soon as you can, please let s know that you're okay. I need to see you and hold you in my arms. I love you, kiddo. _

_Dad_

I wiped the tears out of my eyes and blindly reached for the mouse. I clicked the reply button and typed a few short sentences.

_Dad and Mom,_

_I'm okay. I miss you both so much. I love you and I will call you as soon as I can. And Dad, you've kept your promise. I'll come and see you as soon as I can. _

_Love,_

_Bella_

I sent the email off and looked around again. Still nothing. I skimmed through the pages until an email caught my eye. It was an email from Jessica and it was dated six days after she was killed. There was no way. I battled with myself internally before I gave in and clicked on the email.

_Bella,_

_If you're getting this email, it means something has happened to me. I've set this account up to send out this email to you if it was inactive for more than five days. I'm sorry if I've gotten you into anything or any kind of danger. Thank you for being my best friend and for being who you are. Just remember that you are a strong and wonderful person. You can make it through this life without me. Take care of Alice, be there for each other. _

_I've also included some files attached to this. Just incase, I know how you are about losing things. I love you, Bella. Keep your chin up and don't let the bastards keep you down._

_Now imagine I'm kissing my thumb and putting it on the screen, you know what to do ;) _

_Jess_

I kissed my thumb and pressed it onto the screen, just like Jess and I used to do when we were younger. Only she would know that. I clicked on the attachment and a video popped up. The audio was off but I knew the sounds all too well. It was the same video I saw the night Jessica was murdered. I clicked though the rest of the attachments. It was all there. Every part that was on the CD was in the email. I opened all of the text document and started printing them. I didn't want to lose my proof this time. I reached up to pull the papers off of the printer and felt myself being yanked from the chair. I was then met with very angry green eyes.

"What in the hell are you doing? You know you aren't supposed to be using a computer."

"I know, I'm sorry but I have proof."

"What proof?"

I waved the papers in front of his face and smiled.

"Jess rigged an email account to send me everything that was on the disc. The videos are there, too."

I pulled myself away from Edward and clicked on one of the videos. The anger started to leave his features as he watched the video.

"And this was sent after Jessica was murdered?"

"Yes. Six days later. She had it set up to send this out if the account had been inactive for more than five days."

"Bella? How long have you had your email window open?"

"About ten minutes. Why?"

"Shit."

Edward closed all of the windows down and grabbed the papers from my hands.

"We have to go, now."

He tucked the papers into his waistband and pulled me out of the library behind him. I climbed into the SUV and I could feel my pulse picking up.

"What's going on?"

"Bella, they can track the IP address of where you're accessing your account from."

"What? That's ridiculous. They can't do that."

Edward pulled the papers out of his waistband and tossed them into my lap.

"Apparently there's a lot of things they shouldn't be doing, but that doesn't seem to stop them."

Edward was on his phone in a matter of seconds.

"Emmett, it's Edward. I have the proof we need. I'll fax it over to you when we're back at the house."

He disconnected the line and put his phone down on the dash. I could tell he was trying to keep himself calm.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I had no idea they could track me like that."

"I know. But we have to figure out what our next moves are going to be. There's no way of knowing if they've tracked you until they're right on top of us."

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait."

The drive back to the house was quiet. I stared out the window the whole way and tried to think of other options than being sitting ducks. The gate to the house came into view, but there was something in front of it. I started to panic. Edward reached into the center console and pulled his gun onto his lap. He reached back in and pulled out a small pair of binoculars. The car slowed to a stop as he looked through them and let out a groan.

"It's my father."

"What? How did he know where we were staying?"

"I'm guessing Esme told him."

"Oh crap. Should I hide?"

"Stay low until we get up to the house."

I ducked in my seat and tried not to be seen. I watched Edward's motions for cues of what was going on. He hit the button for the gate and waved his father in behind us. I didn't sit up until I heard the garage door closing a few moments later.

"Is it okay if I get out? Or should I stay in here?"

"Bella, you aren't a dog. Well face this together, come on."

I got out of the vehicle and Edward was by my side seconds later. His hand gripped mine and we walked towards the other car. The door swung open and Edward's father stepped out of the car.

"So when were you going to tell me you were back? Or were you going to keep it a secret?"

"Can we do this inside of the house?"

His father closed his car door and followed us to the door. Edward pushed the door open and I smiled when I saw Kirby waiting eagerly. I picked him up and carried him to the back patio door.

"I'm just going to take him outside. I'll be right back."

I opened the door and stood on the porch. I glanced through the window and saw Edward gesturing around the room while talking to his father. I wasn't so sure that I wanted to go back inside. I heard Kirby's feet clicking against the wooden steps and knew I had to go back in now. Opening the door, I was greeted by the sound of two angry male voices yelling at each other.

I tried to tip toe past them and go up the stairs, but was caught before I even reached the third step.

"And you didn't even tell me you were married!"

"Dad, there's a lot going on that you don't know."

"Really? Is there a grandchild I don't know about? What else is there, Edward? Now is your time to fess up."

"There are no grandchildren. I'm protecting her. That's my job, remember?"

"Then why in the hell is she wearing your mother's ring?"

My eyes darted back and forth between them and then down at my hand. I wanted to hide it behind my back, but it was pointless to do so now. The cat was already out of the bag.

"It's part of our cover. And unlike you, I'll do everything I can to keep someone safe and alive."

Edward's father winced. He had obviously struck a nerve.

"You aren't the only person that lost someone, Edward. Do you have any idea what it's like to watch the love of your life slowly slipping away from you?"

Edward looked up at me and then down at his hand to play with his ring.

"By the time they found the cancer, it was too late. There's nothing that could be done."

"But you're a doctor. You should have noticed the symptoms."

"You think I don't blame myself for that? My incompetence cost your mother her life and it took her away from you. Everything you've gone through in life, I've hated myself because she's not here to experience it with you. She would be so proud of you. But she would also be mad at both of us for drifting apart."

Edward said nothing. He kept his head down and nodded slightly. His father looked at his hands and then up at me. I mustered a weak smile.

"I'll go ahead and leave you two alone for the evening and give you time to think. But if you're willing to move forward and be a family again, here's my number."

As he walked out, he placed a card on the counter. He stopped at the door and looked back at Edward who was still looking at his feet. He then looked up at me and smiled.

"I'm sorry you had to be here for this. Hopefully I'll get to make a better impression in the near future. And your secret is safe with me."

Before I could say thank you, he was already out the door. I stood on the stairs and watched Edward. He still hadn't moved. I walked down the stairs and stopped in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up at me and his eyes were glazed over. Not missing a beat, I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. His arms encircled my waist and his head nuzzled into the crook of my neck.

"Everything will be alright."

I wasn't sure if I was trying to soothe him or myself.

An hour passed and Edward and I were sitting on the couch, holding each other. The silence was cut through by the sound of Edward's phone ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and swore under his breath when he saw the caller ID.

"Hey Emmett, sorry I'm having problems with the fax machine."

A blatant lie, but I wasn't going to call him on it.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I'll send those papers over to you right now. Bella's been tinkering with it, so it should be working now. If you don't get it in the next ten minutes, give me a call back."

Edward stood up from the couch and grabbed the papers from the counter. He busied himself punching the number in before sitting back down on he couch.

"I completely forget to send those papers to him."

"I think considering what just happened, you're forgiven."

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to hear all of that. It's just stuff that I've been holding onto for a few years."

"Edward, it's fine. It's only natural for all of these feelings to come out. You haven't seen him in almost a decade."

"I know. It would be nice to have a parent again."

"You have to find a way to forgive him. He did everything he could to save your mother, and you know that. I'm not saying it will be easy, but you need to find a way to do it."

Edward smiled and placed a kiss on my forehead. As much as I was dreading bringing it up, I knew it had to be done.

"We should probably discuss the whole situation from earlier though. What are we going to do? We can't just sit here and wait."

"You're right. I'll talk to Emmett when he gets the fax. We'll see what he thinks we should do. But you may want to start packing, just in case."

"We would need to leave again?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"What do you mean by that?"

And always with the perfect timing, Edward's phone began to ring again.

"Hey….Yeah, I'm glad it made it through….Well, that's actually what I needed to talk to you about…Bella got into her email account and found an email from Jessica with all of the information in it….I know, I didn't realize there were computers there and that she would use them….Yes, I understand the severity of the situation, but now we have our proof…I don't think that's a good idea…doing that now would be a huge risk and put her more at danger…Fine, I understand completely."

Edward dropped his phone to the floor and kept his back to me. His stance was rigid as he took shallow breaths. I slowly made my way to his side and clasped onto one of his hands.

"What did he say?"

Edward didn't say anything. Instead he stalked to the stairs and took them two at a time. I blindly followed behind as quickly as I could.

"Edward? What is going on?"

"I've been relieved of my duties. You'll have a replacement agent here tomorrow."

**A/N: Uh-oh. Our two love birds are being torn apart! Whatever will they do? Until you find out, leave me some sugar! ^_^ I LOVE ALL OF YOU!**


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Hey, you know that Twilight franchise? It's not mine.

A/N: Thank you for sticking with me during this long delay. There will be a most epic of author notes at the end of the chapter that will explain my absence.

Playlist: Closure of Ashes by SIXPIN, Within Me by Madside, Hesitate by Stone Sour, Dumb Luck by Red Line Chemistry, Carry On by Burn Season, You by The Pretty Reckless

Chapter 18-

I stood frozen in the doorway, not understanding what Edward had just said. He moved back and forth between his dresser and his closet and started putting his things in his bag.

"What did you just say?"

"I'm being pulled from the case. I've been deemed inept. I wasn't watching you close enough and you ended up putting yourself in danger because I wasn't paying attention."

"That's not fair! I'm a grown woman and I make my own decisions! I decided to use my email, not you. You shouldn't be blamed for this."

"But I should have been watching you."

"Can I talk to Emmett? I'm sure if I explain, he'll change his mind."

"There's nothing we can do, Bella. It's set in stone."

"No! There has to be something."

Edward just shrugged his shoulders and stuffed more of his clothes into his bag. I stepped to his side and put my hands over his.

"Edward, look at me. We can fix this. We have to because I can't do this without you."

The tears began to build in my eyes and there was no stopping them from overflowing. Edward pulled me into his arms and tried to soothe me. I wanted to stop crying, but I couldn't. I had already lost Jess, Alice was God knows where, and my other friends were over a thousand miles away. Edward was the only person I had left.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I wish there was something I could do, but there isn't."

I buried my face into Edward's chest and memorized what it felt like to be in his arms.

"And your replacement will be here tomorrow?"

"Yes. Sometime in the afternoon."

I pushed myself off of his chest and rubbed the tears away from my eyes. If this was going to be the last night I had with him, I didn't want to look red eyed and puffy.

"So we have the rest of the night together?"

He must have known where I was going with this conversation because he picked the bag up from the bed and tossed it carelessly to the floor before pulling me back into his arms. His hands ran up my arms and stopped at the base of my neck.

"I say we spend the rest of the time we have together diminishing the condom supply."

I smiled and nodded in agreement, "You read my mind."

Edward's lips claimed mine and the internal fire flared to life. My hands found an immediate home buried in his hair. I kissed him with everything I had in me. If we were going to be torn apart, I didn't want him to leave with any doubts of how I felt about him. And from the intensity that Edward was kissing me with, I could tell he was doing the same. I suddenly felt empowered and brazen. Turning Edward so his back was to the bed, my fingers started to work on the buttons of his shirt. As soon as I freed him from his shirt, his hands started to raise the hem of my shirt. He got as far as my belly button before I pushed him onto the bed. Within seconds, I had my shirt flung across the room and was crawling on top of Edward. His lips curved into a crooked smile.

"Someone is a little feisty."

"Why waste time taking our clothes off?"

"Because, that can be a lot of fun."

I was then flipped onto my back and pinned to the mattress. Edward's lips trailed along the side of my neck and down to my shoulder. He slowly moved my bra strap out of the way and kissed the newly exposed strip of skin.

"So are you planning on torturing me?"

"Only a little."

And so it continued. Edward slowly made his way around my body and removed every garment that was covering me. After Edward removed the last article of clothing, it dawned on me. He wasn't torturing me, he was memorizing me. His hands and lips touched everywhere that they could. My urgency disappeared and was replaced with the need to do the same to him. I pushed on Edward's shoulders and he let me takeover. His arms wrapped around my waist as he rolled onto his back. I started kissing and touching every place I could. I felt the need to internalize every aspect of him. The way he felt, the way he smelled, the way he tasted. I took my time removing his jeans and boxers.

I smiled to myself as Edward started to squirm under my touch. Now I could see why he was enjoying doing it to me. I kissed my way back up to his neck and smiled to myself when he wrapped his arms around my waist to hold me to him. I could feel his erection rubbing against my thigh and it was causing butterflies in my stomach. Straddling him, I pushed myself into a sitting position, bringing him with me. All I had to do was move my hips a little and he would be inside of me. I forced myself not to move and take my time. His hands gripped my hips and held me completely still.

Our eyes met and we didn't need to say anything. I reached for the box of condoms that was resting on top of the nightstand. Pulling one out, I quickly unwrapped it and rolled it along his length. A slight hiss left his lips when I tightened my grip on the base of his shaft. I watched him as I positioned him at my entrance. His eyes were bright green and they pierced into me. Lowering my self onto him, I struggled to keep my eyes on his. My head involuntarily lulled back once he was fully inside of me. He placed gentle kisses along the column of my neck while his hands dug into my hips, keeping me still against him. Edward got up onto his knees and moved me to my back, maintaining contact the whole time.

A gasp left my throat when he started to move. His movements were slow and concise. My legs locked around his hips to hold him as close to me as possible. My body became a livewire and sensitive to everything. Even the breeze from the heater was a caress against my skin. The intensity of sensations kept building within me, rushing into every cell. My nails dug into Edward's back as I arched my body closer to him. My orgasm built with every thrust until the slow build erupted in a release so power and passionate, that I knew it would be imprinted on my for the rest of my life.

EPOV

The clock was a bastard. Time was flying by too quickly. My replacement would arrive soon and I would be torn away from Bella. I didn't care what happened to me, but I knew it was going to be damaging to her. Still, she put on a brave face and acted like nothing was wrong. It was what she was best at. There was still so much she was holding onto and I was afraid for her. I had no idea how she was going to cope with a new agent on top of everything else. Looking back at the clock, I let out a loud groan. Bella's head popped up from my chest and then she followed my gaze. She sighed heavily and burrowed her face into my shoulder.

"Can we just act like we moved? We just won't answer the door when they show up."

"If that wouldn't result in them calling in the cavalry and hauling me away, yes."

"So what are you going to do when you leave?"

"I'm not sure yet. I've been more concerned about what you're going to be going through."

"I'll be fine. I always am."

I didn't want to press the issue. It would only result in an argument and I didn't want to spend the rest of my time with her like that. So I let it go and just held her closer to me. I watched the clock as ten more minutes ticked away. There was still a little packing to be done and I wanted to make sure Bella had enough time to get ready before the new agent showed up.

"I hate to have to point this out, but we need to get up and get ready."

"I don't wanna." Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tightly.

"I know, but we have to. I don't want them seeing you in this state. Only I get to see you like this."

Bella looked up at me and was giving me the puppy face.

"Don't even try that with me. It won't work. Besides, I don't want to do this anymore than you do."

I reluctantly sat up and pulled my jeans on. Bella was still sprawled across the mattress and burrowing under the covers. I crawled over to her and placed a kiss on her head.

"Get up and get dressed. They'll be here any minute."

Bella threw the covers back, fully exposing herself to me. I swallowed deeply and fought not to jump on top of her again. She shimmied herself to the edge of the bed and put her clothes on. I pulled the remaining pieces of clothing I had out of the dresser and shoved them into my bag. As I was zipping my bag closed, the alarm for the gate echoed through the house. Bella paled considerably and looked down right sick. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her forehead.

"Everything is going to be okay."

"I wish I could believe you."

She sounded utterly broken. My stomach clenched and I felt guilty. Had I paid more attention, this wouldn't have happened. We both walked downstairs and while Bella flopped down on the couch, I checked the security camera and saw a black sedan waiting outside of the gate. The window was down and my stomach dropped. It was him. Out of all of the agents Emmet could have sent, he sent him. Begrudgingly, I buzzed the gate open. I desperately wanted to grab Bella, get in the car, and get the hell out of there. If only that were an option. Moments later, the doorbell rang and I drug my feet to the door. Checking the peephole, I saw his cocky smile and immediately wanted to hit something. I pulled the door open and suppressed my urge to shoot him.

"Hey, Cullen. Took you long enough to answer. I was starting to think you were both dead."

I looked back to the living room and was thankful that Bella hadn't heard his remark.

"Do you think you could be a little more tactful? She's not like the brain dead tramps you hang around."

"Easy, Cullen. I was just sayin'. No need to get your panties in a bunch. I'm assuming you're ready to brief me and get out."

"We'll go into the office. She won't be able to hear us there. After we're done, you can make your introduction"

I walked to the office with him following close behind. I saw Bella peek her head around the corner and watch us go to the back of the house. Knowing I was going to be leaving her with him made me sick, but I had no say in the matter. Closing the door behind us, I leaned up against the over sized mahogany desk while he sat in the chair in front of me.

"The first thing you need to know is that she's not dumb. You're usual tactics won't work on her. She will question everything you do. But be patient with her, she hasn't actually mourned yet."

"Oh great, so I get to play counselor too?"

"And that kind of attitude will not fly. She won't put up with it and she's feisty. I've been working on hand to hand combat with her. So if you would like your balls to stay in one place, you might want to ease up a touch."

"Fine, I'll be nice. I read her file, so no need to cover that. Anything else I need to know?"

"Just don't be a dick. So anything you would usually do, don't."

"Well I can't promise anything. But I will tell you that she won't get away with the crap you let her get away with. I'll do my job."

I gripped the edge of the desk and took a deep breath. I wasn't going to let him get to me.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to her. And before I leave, I'll need to speak to Bella in private."

He nodded and stood to follow me out to the living room. Bella was still on the couch and had Kirby in her lap. She looked up and forced a polite smile onto her face.

"Bella, this is James Roberts. He'll be taking over."

Bella stood and extended her hand to him, "It's nice to meet you."

James, being the monumental douche that he is, looked her up and down before taking her hand in his.

"Yes it is." James turned back to me and smiled.

"I can take it from here, Cullen."

I had never wanted to hit someone so badly in my entire life. For Bella's sake, I maintained my composure. Kirby watched me from the couch. He kept looking back and forth between James and I. He jumped off of the couch and came to investigate the new person in the group. He sniffed around and stopped right by James' feet. The hairs on the back of his little neck stood up and he started barking at James, all while backing up to sit at Bella's feet. A futile attempt to be her guard dog.

"Kirby! Be nice!" Bella picked him up and tried to calm him. Kirby watched James from Bella's arms.

"I'm sorry. He's usually really good with new people."

I tried to hide my smile. Kirby was probably picking up on the jackass level increase in the room.

"James, if you'll excuse Bella and I for a moment. There are some final things I have to go over with her before I leave."

James nodded and watched as Bella and I left the room. Kirby climbed around in Bella's arms so he was looking over her shoulder at him. Kirby kept an intent gaze on him until we rounded the corner and walked into the office. I closed and locked the door behind us.

"I don't have long, but I want to make sure that you'll be okay."

"As well as I can be."

I grabbed a piece of paper and pen and scribbled a quick note. I folded the paper and handed it to Bella.

"Hold on to this and don't look at it until I leave. Most importantly, don't let James know you have it. It's only in case of an emergency."

She put the note in her pocket and didn't question me.

"Just keep your chin up. Now that we have that lead, we should have this cracked in no time. And when we do, I'll come back for you."

I placed my hand on the side of her face. She leaned into my touch and sighed.

"I'm really going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too."

I held Bella in my arms and wished I didn't have to let go. It just didn't seem right that we were being pulled apart. But I guess, for Bella's sake, it's for the best.

BPOV

I held onto Edward as tightly as I could. He would be leaving in a few minutes and these last few moments of privacy would have to hold me until I could see him again.

"We should probably get back out there. James will think that I'm telling you all of his dirty little secrets."

"Is he really that bad of a guy?"

"Don't get me wrong, he's a great agent. Just a massive asshole."

"I have a feeling I'm going to be locking myself in my room quite often."

"You'll be fine. Just don't try to get away with the things you got away with with me."

"I'll try to behave, but I make no promises."

"That's all I can ask for," Edward said as he smiled down at me and tilted my chin up.

I stood on my tip toes and pulled his lips to mine. This was going to be the last time I kissed him for a long time and I was going to make it count. One of his hands pulled me closer to him while the other wrapped around my neck. I lightly bit at his bottom lip and waited for him to comply. He responded by deepening the kiss. I felt butterflies fluttering around in my stomach when his tongue ran along mine. The room could have been on fire, but I wouldn't have noticed or cared. The only thing I wanted at that very moment was to stay like this with him. Edward pulled away from me and panted for breath. Neither of us said anything. I submitted this moment to memory. I didn't know if it would be my last one with Edward or not.

Silently, we walked back out to the living room. James was sitting on the couch, playing with his phone. He didn't even bother to look up when we entered the room. Edward squeezed my hand and went up the stairs to get his bags. My stomach clenched with every step he took. Kirby sat by my feet, watching James. I didn't understand why he was acting this way towards James. Something was off.

The stairs creaked as Edward came down them. He had his coat on and bag slung over his shoulder.

"It's time for me to head out. James, you have my number if you have any questions."

"I think I've got it, but thanks."

I followed Edward to the door, feeling my heart beat faster and harder. We stood at the door, not really knowing what to say to each other.

"Be safe. And remember what I said about what to do in case of an emergency."

I couldn't get my mouth to work when I desperately needed it to. Edward enveloped me in a warm embrace.

"I'll come back for you as soon as I can, Bella."

"Thank you. For everything."

Edward stepped back and smiled that beautiful smile of his, "You're welcome."

Edward snaked his head around the corner to make sure James wasn't listening. He gave me one last chaste kiss before he opened the door and left. I stood in the same spot and listened as the car engine roared to life. I heard the click of the gears shifting, the sound of the garage door opening, and the low crunch of rubber meeting gravel. The garage door started to whir again. When it stopped, it hit me. I was completely and totally alone.

A/N: And so here it is, the most epic and heavy author's note ever! First, no, I am not quitting writing this story. Not gonna happen. But I feel that I need to come clean and make a very heavy confession as to why this chapter took so long.

On the last chapter, I received a review from someone that told me I was writing Bella as cold. I emailed the person and some what admitted why I was writing her the way I was. Then it was said that I need to put myself in Bella's shoes. How would I react if I had found my best friend dead? To this I responded, I would respond in the same why I'm writing Bella because that's how I acted when I found one of my friends after she had slit her wrists open. She was gone by the time I found her.

And yes I know, I did have Bella flirting with Edward right away, but again, that's how I acted. Anything to distract myself, I did it. Other than when I found her and at her funeral, I never really cried because I felt that if I did, it was me admitting that she was really gone. I'm not proud of how I acted at all, but not everyone crumbles when something horrible happens. It's been almost eight years and I still haven't properly mourned her death, but it's my unhealthy way of holding on to her.

When I started writing this story, I knew I would be revisiting some old wounds, but I thought I could handle it. I wasn't expecting them to be ripped wide open only to have salt poured in. But before anyone gets upset, I've already been in contact with said reader and explained everything that I am telling all of you now. I respect her opinion, but I made it known to her that I didn't appreciate the assumption that everyone needs to break down. And don't go looking for the review either. It was removed to prevent anyone from sending hate mail to her. It's her opinion and she didn't know where I was coming from.

And because of all of this, it was hard to come back to a story that was so close after rehashing everything in my head, over and over again. But I think I can say I'm ready to let go and use this as a cleansing process and my own personal way to say good bye to her.

Thank you to all of you that have stuck with me and helped me along so far with this story. I cherish all of you! ****EPIC HUGS****


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Still trying to find a way to though.**

**A/N: There are a few things. First, I can't even begin to thank all of you for the support you showed me on the last chapter. I appreciate all of your support and encouragement. I love you all so very much and I cherish you and your words. Second, I can't apologize enough for how long this chapter took to get out. I have started going to school in addition to working fulltime. It's very hard to find time to write when 16 your days are spent driving to work, working, driving home, sleeping, driving to school, school, and then driving to work again. But now that I have gotten into the swing of things with school and things have calmed a touch, I have found time to write and get chapters out a lot faster than a month and a half. I will be busting my ass to make sure that that doesn't happen again!**

**And as always and never changing, thank you to my super beta, oceanwaters2006! You are so amazing and now that I'm working and going to school, I appreciate what you do for me even more!**

**Playlist:** Guilty By Design by Rev Theory, Hail Mary by The Black Cloud Collective, Diamond Eyes by Shinedown, We Are Stars by The Pierces, Lies of the Beautiful People by Sixx: A.M., Waiting For The End by Linkin Park, Die Trying by Art of Dying

**Chapter 19-**

I wasn't really sure how long I had been standing there. Edward was gone and I was left with a man that I didn't know and didn't trust. How in the world was I supposed to function? I had built up my defenses and armed myself, but it was really hitting me. I was alone.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

I forced myself to walk away from the door and back into the living room.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I know that this is a big change and that you were comfortable with Edward, but I'll try and make this as easy of a transition for you as I can. I'm not really the asshole that Edward paints me out to be. I really hope that you'll give me a chance."

"I will. I always intended to. Just don't make me regret giving you that chance. I've met you're kind before."

"My kind?"

"Good looking and knows it, cocky, and just a little loud. You probably have a whole laundry list of ex-girlfriends."

"Okay, so far you're doing pretty well."

"I'm just pretty good at reading people. I don't get the ass hat vibe, but I do get the cocky bastard vibe."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not necessarily, but it's not a point either."

"Noted. Now that we've broken the ice a little bit, I should let you know that we will be relocating you again. We just can't risk staying here and you being found. We'll wait until sundown and then we're going to get on the road."

I felt myself freeze completely. If we left, that meant I would be pulled away from Edward without him knowing where I was.

"You're sure we have to leave?"

"Yes. It's not safe here anymore. It was a risk keeping you here this long."

"Does Edward know where I'm being relocated to?"

"No. Even I don't know. I'll get a call from Emmet right before we leave."

I could only manage to nod my head and turn to walk up the stairs.

"I'm going to go pack my stuff and maybe take a nap."

I knew I was obviously cutting the conversation short, but I didn't care. I needed space to breathe and try to recollect myself. In a matter of 20 minutes, Edward had left and now I was being forced to relocate again. I walked up the stairs quickly and made it to my room just in time. Kirby ran into the room before I closed the door behind me and leaned against it.

All of the things I had been holding in and pushing to the back of my mind were now coming to the surface. All of the hurt that I had become numb to was now a searing pain running through my veins. The lump in my throat felt like a grapefruit. I fell back against the door to try and steady my shaking knees, but to no avail. I slowly slid down to the floor and let the dam break.

This whole time, I had been acting like nothing had happened, that Jess wasn't really dead. I had somehow managed to block the memories of that night from my mind. All of the small details were so vivid in my memory. The fresh scent of candles mixed with blood, the creaking of the banisters, the panicked look that was frozen on her face. I stared ahead of me and out my bedroom window. Small snowflakes had begun to flutter through the air. It was that moment that I realized that the tears were rolling down my face. I had no control over them anymore. I relinquished my death grip and let go. I couldn't hold anything in anymore. I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to muffle the body wrenching sobs that were now choking me. Kirby nudged my leg with his head as he burrowed into my lap and let out a small whimper. I kept staring out the window as the tears kept rolling.

I wasn't sure how much time had gone by before I picked myself up off of the floor and walked over to the bed. I felt completely drained and catatonic. Kirby followed beside me and tried to climb up the over sized frame. I picked him up and placed him in the middle of the bed before pulling the covers back and crawling under them. I looked back out the window and the light flurries had now begun to fall quickly. I started to drift off, my last thought before sleep over took me was that I hoped I would wake up to everything being a dream.

My sleep was restless and without any dreams. Kirby was still sound asleep by my side. I lightly played with his small paw and was very grateful that I at least had him with me. He was my only link to Jess and my old life. A light knock on the door was followed by the door creaking open. I turned and saw James peeking into the room.

"Hey. I was just checking to see if you were okay."

"Yeah, I guess. Any word yet?"

"Not yet, but it should be soon. Are you all packed?"

"No, sorry, I fell asleep. I'll get that done."

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

James closed the door behind him and I hopped out of bed so I could start grabbing everything. I didn't even bother folding anything, I just grabbed and shoved. I could worry about ironing when I got to wherever the hell else I was going. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the piece of paper Edward had given me. The phone number wasn't labeled and it didn't look familiar. The only caveat that was attached was that I could only use it if it was an emergency. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew Edward was already in enough trouble because of me, I would grab the nearest phone and call. I folded the piece of paper up and put it back into my pocket.

I looked around the room one last time before grabbing Kirby and my bag. The realization that I was holding everything that I owned was not lost upon me. I closed the door and walked down the stairs. James stood at the base, talking on his phone and pacing back and forth.

"Alright, we'll be on the road as soon as we gather all of our things."

James put his phone in his pocket and gestured to the door.

"We gotta head out, do you have everything?"

"I just need to grab Kirby's things from the kitchen and then we can leave."

"Alright, but make it quick. Emmett wants us on the road in the next ten minutes."

I made quick work of gathering all of Kirby's things while as sat by my feet and watched. I walked by the fridge and stopped when I saw the picture of Jess and I hanging on the door. I plucked it from the magnet and smiled at the memory of happier and easier times. I missed those.

I stood by the door while James did a finally sweep of the house to make sure there wasn't anything that needed to come with us. When he was satisfied, he came to the door and pulled my duffel bag from my shoulder and slung it over his. His act of chivalry caught me off guard and from the smirk on his face, I was guessing he noticed.

"See, not a total asshole."

"Not totally. But we still have plenty of time for you to change that progress."

"I'll try not to disappoint you. Now, shall we?"

"Do I have any other choice?"

"Nope."

"Then I guess so."

James smiled and opened the door to the garage. I followed behind him and looked back into the house one last time. I tried to internalize the memories and small details, hoping that they would stay with me. I held the door open and waited for Kirby to follow me. He stood by the door and watched James load my bag into the car.

"Come on, Kirby. He's one of the good guys."

Kirby looked up at me and hesitantly walked into the garage. James closed the trunk before he opened the driver's side door. I knew we were on a little bit of a time crunch so instead of waiting for Kirby to decide if he wanted to be in the same car as James, I picked him up and hauled him to it. James started the car and then opened the garage door. I let out a heavy sigh as the car began to move.

_On the run again._

I watched in the dim light of the early night sky as the trees passed by the window. The snow was still falling from the sky and placing a thin blanket on the ground.

"You might as well get comfortable. We have about nine hours ahead of us."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"No. You'll just have to wait and see."

"Can't wait."

As we got closer to town, I tried to get a decent look at the small, rustic buildings. I wanted to remember this place. I may have been there for a less than ideal reason, but it was still a place I wanted to remember. My heart felt heavy when I saw the 'Now leaving Belgrade' sign. The street lights became smaller as we approached the highway. We were only a few miles outside of Belgrade when James pulled into a small gas station.

"I'm just going to top off the tank. You can grab anything you need. We probably won't stop for another 6 hours."

"Okay, did you need anything while I'm in there?"

"No, I still have some stuff from before."

I nodded and walked up to the building. I pulled on the door but it was locked. I peered into the window and didn't see anyone. Perfect. I walked back to the car and let Kirby out before we started our road trip. I clipped the leash on to him and put him down.

"The door was locked. I'm just going to take him to go to the bathroom before we leave."

James gave me a small wave while he focused on filling the tank. Kirby pranced away from the car and stopped to sniff a small patch of grass that wasn't covered in snow. I waited patiently and looked around at the trees that were surrounding the gas station. I was going to miss the fresh air and wide open sky. Kirby tugged on the leash as he started walking back towards the car. We made it back just in time for James to twist the gas cap into place.

"We should be good to go now. Climb in."

Before I had my door open, I heard a loud screech of tires along the pavement. I turned towards the source of the noise and saw a large black SUV speeding towards us.

"Get in the car!"

I fumbled with the door handle before finally climbing in. James reached towards his back waistband and pulled out a gun and then got into the car. He quickly started the engine and threw the car into gear. We sped off and James whipped the car back towards the highway. The SUV stayed right behind us and the interior of the car started to get brighter as the SUV closed the distance. My heart was racing and I tried to keep my breathing normal so I wouldn't panic. I sank down as low as my seatbelt would allow me. An odd sense of déjà vu came over me and then I vividly remembered the dream I had been having. The only difference was that I was with James instead of Edward. I ran through the dream again in my head and each time I had had it, it never ended well.

The glass of the back window shattered. I heard James grunt and the car jerk slightly. I saw the blob of dark red begin to form on the sleeve of his shirt. His teeth were gritted but his hands were still gripping the steering wheel. The inside of the car got dark and I knew exactly they were doing, they were pulling up beside us. The dark shadow blocked the side of the car and I could see the glint of light off of a gun. The car suddenly jerked before more glass shattered. I barely had time to register the spray of blood coming from James' throat before the SUV rammed into the side of the car. James grip on the steering wheel was gone and I felt the tires slide on the pavement. I reached for the wheel and tried to guide the car.

Before I could do anything, the SUV swerved into the side of the car again. I couldn't keep control of the wheel and the car slid off of the road and ran straight into a tree. I jerked against my seatbelt and then was thrown back by the air bags deploying. I felt the sting of glass shards cutting into my skin and the crunch of my nose breaking from the airbag hitting it. I looked over at James and heard the wet gurgle of his breathing. His eyes were locked on mine as he struggled to breathe. I wanted to stay but I knew that the SUV would be back. He must have been able to tell that I was having an internal battle because he reached over and handed his gun to me.

"Run and don't stop."

I wanted to argue with him, but I knew he was right. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed the door open. The creak of metal against metal made me cringe. I stopped before closing the door to grab Kirby from the floor and turned to James again.

"I'm sorry."

I slammed the door behind me and I ran while holding Kirby close to me. The crisp air burned my lungs as I took it in. I was thankful that I was surrounded by hundreds of trees to keep me hidden, but I knew that it wouldn't be enough to keep me totally safe. A flash of light illuminated the trees around me. I turned around and saw that the SUV had pulled up beside the car. I had to keep moving. I forced my feet to move as quickly as I could and I let the adrenaline take over. I felt a warm trickle down my face and knew that I had to be bleeding, but I ignored it. I was thankful that there was just enough light from the moon to allow me to see the trees, but not enough to make it easy to see me. Between trees, I was able to see the street lights of Belgrade start to get closer. If I could just get into town, I could hide. I just had to keep moving. I started running further away from the road to keep myself hidden and kept repeating a silent plea that I could make it.

My lungs were burning when I ran into a clearing. All of the trees were gone and I still had about a quarter of a mile to go before I would be surrounded by the safety of the buildings. I ran in a straight line and kept looking around, praying that I wouldn't see any headlights behind me on the road. The buildings got closer and closer and a sense of relief started to fill me. Only a little ways left to go.

As soon as my feet hit the first sidewalk, I knew exactly where I had to go. I ran towards one of the back alleyways and ducked into it. I leaned beside a dumpster and looked out towards the street, I saw a dim set of headlights in the distance. I hoped that I would have enough time to get to safety before it got closer. Kirby let out a small whimper in my arms. He appeared to be fine, but I wouldn't know for sure until I could get somewhere safe. I moved by the backdoors in the alleyway and stopped at the last building in the row. I put Kirby down on the ground and began to relentlessly ring the doorbell while knocking with my other hand.

Footsteps got closer to the door before a light went on over my head. The door swung open and Esme's concerned face popped out.

"Allison! What happened to you?"

"Esme, I know you're closed, but can I please come in."

"Of course! Come in, come in."

Esme ushered me in closed the door behind us, locking the deadbolts. I was still in such a daze that I forgot I was holding a gun in my hand with Kirby's leash. I saw Esme's glance go to my hand and her face become even more concerned.

"Allison, what is going on and why do you have a gun?"

"It's a really long story, but all I can tell you right now is that someone is after me and I have to call Ed…Matt."

"Of course. But shouldn't I call an ambulance for you?"

"No, please don't call anyone. I'll just call Matt and he'll know what to do."

Esme lead me to a back office and pointed to the phone.

"While you call him, I'm going to grab some first aid supplies from the shelves and I'll be right back."

I nodded and waited for her to close the door. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crumpled piece of paper. My fingers numbly punched the keys and I waited. The line was picked up after the first ring.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

"Edward, they found me. James and I were supposed to leave and they found us before we could get out of town."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Esme's store. All I could tell her was that someone was after me and I had to hide here."

"Stay there and tell Esme to lock all of the doors and not to let anyone in unless it's me."

I hung up the phone and took a deep breath. I was suddenly aware of the pain shooting through my body. Esme pushed the door to the office open with her foot and dropped the arm full of first aid supplies she had grabbed onto the desk.

"Matt is on his way. He said not to let anyone into the store except for him."

Esme nodded and went to work opening boxes of bandages and dousing cotton balls in alcohol. I readied myself for the impending sting and gritted my teeth. It was hard to keep myself still while she tended to my wounds, but I made myself do it. Esme had finally gotten the majority of the blood off of my face when a loud knock on the door echoed through the back room. Esme grabbed the baseball bat the was by the office door and she walked back to the door. I waited silently and prayed that it was Edward. When I heard the door open and the rushed footsteps, I momentarily panicked when I realized the possibility that it might not be him. My hands scrambled across the surface of the desk and I grabbed the gun. I pointed towards the door and waited.

A sigh of relief passed through me when Edward walked through the door. I put the gun on the desk top and ran into his arms. His arms wrapped around me and held me close to him. His hand ran through my hair to try and soothe me. Edward pushed me away from him and looked over my injuries. His expression went from concerned to angry.

"Where's James?"

"I think he's dead. He got shot in the throat and I had to leave him behind when I ran from the car."

"Shit. We have to get you out of here. I already called Emmett and let him know."

"But then what? I run and then they find me again and I just keep running. I can't keep running, Edward. I just can't keep looking over my shoulder."

"Bella, there's no other way until we can find who's behind all of this."

The door to the office was pushed open more and I saw Esme standing by Carlisle. Esme looked confused while Carlisle only looked concerned. Esme looked back and forth between Edward and I.

"I thought your names were Allison and Matt. Will someone please tell me what's going on here?"

I gave Edward a questioning look and he nodded his approval. I took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

"My name is Bella Swan and I'm hiding from the people that murdered my best friend."

**A/N: Mini cliffy. Well, maybe not so much a cliffy. I'm already starting on the next chapter since the writer's block seems to have been broken and I have a little bit of free time from school and work. I now know how hard it is to get anything done when you go to school and work full time. Again, I'm sorry this chapter took so gosh damn long to get out. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!**


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related.

A/N: And it happened again. I'm an ass and you're all wonderful for being so gosh darned patient. Finals are done for school, but I am already back in the thick of another semester. But that good news is that the stress and pressure of finals is weeks away. Thank you to those that are still with me and supporting my story. I love you all! And a huge thank you to the always amazing beta of mine, Oceanwaters2006. You're simply an angel and you know I'm thinking about you when I pick out my play list ^_~

Playlist: Skin by Sixx AM, To the Grave by The Pierces, Killing Me Inside by Crossfade, Get Up by Korn, Sick by Adelita's Way, Waysis En Alta by Rozaline, Wasted by No Love Lost

Chapter 20 ~

Esme was pacing back and forth in front of Edward and I . I kept looking between her and Edward, trying to figure out if I had done the right thing by telling her everything. She looked very pale and confused. Not a good sign.

"Esme, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a lot to take in. This is the kind of stuff I watch on television."

"Tell me about it."

"So what are you going to do now? They've already found you once, why wouldn't they be able to find you again?"

"That's my thinking exactly. I'm sick of running."

Edward squeezed my hand and pulled me closer to him.

"Bella, I'm not going to let you throw yourself to the wolves just because you're tired."

"Edward, people are getting killed because of me. How many more before they stop? They aren't going to give up anytime soon."

"I don't care if I have to take you out of the country, I will not let you give up."

Trying to argue with Edward was pointless. I just couldn't keep putting everyone in danger. But maybe he was right. If we at least left Montana, Esme and Carlisle would be safe.

"Where are we going to go?"

"I already talked to Emmett and he wants us to head to Alice and Rosalie's location. We're going to re-group and go from there."

"Fine. When should we leave?"

"We can leave right now."

I nodded and walked over towards where Kirby was laying on the ground. His tiny head peaked up and nuzzled my outstretched hand. I couldn't keep dragging Kirby around with me. He was the last piece of Jess that I had and I didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Esme, do you think that you could keep Kirby here? I don't want anything to happen to him."

"Of course. I'll keep him as long as you need me to."

"Thank you. He's the last piece I have of Jess and I promised I would take care of him and I just can't if I'm constantly on the run."

"Well I don't foresee having to keep him for very long. All of this will be over soon and you will be safe again."

"I sure hope so. I miss being normal."

I stayed lowered by Kirby and scratched his ear until he fell asleep. I was going to miss him but I knew that I couldn't take care of him right now. I had to leave him. I stood up and walked back over to Edward's side and squeezed his hand.

"We need to get going. Dad, you and Esme will need to lay low. Don't trust anyone that you don't recognize. And if anyone asks about us, just say that we had to leave because of a family emergency and leave it at that. If anything happens, call me when you know you're alone."

Carlisle ran a hand through his hair, the same way Edward always did.

"I was really hoping that we would have the chance to make amends. It's been so long since I've seen you and I know your mother would be upset with how things happened in the past. But you're just like your mother, she was always very protective of the people around her. And Bella, you have the same determination to put everyone else before yourself. I can see why Edward is in love with you. Please take care of each other and try to come back soon."

Carlisle pulled Edward into a hug before turning to me to do the same, though he was very careful of my fresh wounds. The words Carlisle had said were still running through my head. Was Edward really in love with me? The thought brought both happiness and fear. All of my life I had wanted someone like Edward in my life but why did he have to come into my life when it was falling apart? If Edward were to stay with me, I was very aware of the likely possibility of something happening to him.

Esme was the next in line to bid us farewell. She hugged Edward and patted him on the shoulder before moving to stand in front of me. She brushed a stray hair out of my face and smiled sweetly.

"I am so glad I got to meet you. You gave me the courage I needed to go after what I wanted. I was really hoping that I would get to keep you around for a lot longer, but I know that you'll be back and everything will be better soon. You'll see."

"Thank you, Esme. For everything."

"Anytime."

I feebly wrapped my arms around her and ignored the searing pain in my side. I hoped she was right and everything would go back to normal soon. I couldn't handle much more running. Edward and I started walking towards the back door of the building. I looked back and smiled at Esme and Carlisle. Kirby was still asleep on the floor and I felt a lump form in my throat. Hopefully I would be back soon.

Edward pulled his gun from his waistband and slowly pushed the door open. He carefully looked around the alleyway before opening the door further to check the other side. Edward pushed the door open fully and waved me to follow him. The air was crisp and almost painful the breathe in. I kept glancing behind us to make sure that no one was following us. Edward opened the door to the SUV and checked inside of it before motioning for me to get in. I ducked down in my seat and started to say a silent prayer that no one had seen us.

The vehicle started moving and my anxiety doubled. Edward continued to check all of the mirrors.

"I think we are in the clear, but we won't know for sure until we get a little ways out of town."

"Edward, I'm sorry I'm taking you away from your dad. I know that you two haven't seen each other in a long time."

"Bella, it's okay. He understands that this is my life now and that you're part of it. Besides, I swore that I would protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

I pursed my lips and looked out the window before turning back to him, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Is what Carlisle said true? Are you in love with me?"

"Bella, how could I not be? You're an amazing woman. But if you don't mind, I would like to hold off on having this discussion with you when we're somewhere safe."

I nodded and peaked up from the passenger seat. We were a few miles outside of Belgrade. We weren't safe yet, but we would be soon. I saw red and blue lights flashing in the distance. I felt sick when I realized that it had to be the ambulance and police cars responding to James' car. Edward reached for my hand and took it in his. He lightly squeezed it when we drove by the car. I watched as two paramedics pushed a gurney with a body bag on it towards the ambulance. I felt sick knowing it was James in that body bag and I felt even worse knowing he was in it because of me.

Edward said nothing. He just held my hand and drove.

I had fallen asleep an hour outside of Belgrade. I felt the slight jerk of the car as it slowed to a stop. I sat up quickly and looked around me. Other than the street lights, I could tell that it was still dark outside. I felt Edward rub my arm to reassure that everything was okay.

"We're just stopping to fuel up and grab some food. Wait in here until I'm done filling up the tank."

Edward closed the door and I glanced out the window again. There was a light sprinkling of snow on the ground and the parking lot was near deserted. The only other vehicles were an old Chevy pickup and a silver Honda. I didn't want to be stopped right now. I wanted to be moving. There was no way to tell if we had been followed or not, but I trusted Edward's judgment. He wouldn't have stopped somewhere if he didn't think it was safe. The driver's side door opened and Edward climbed back in.

"I forgot how cold it gets at night this time of year."

"Me too. I hope we're going somewhere warm. All of my clothes are in the other car."

"After we meet up with Rosalie and Alice, we can stop and get some more clothes for you."

"Could we do that before we get Alice? I love the girl and miss her to pieces, but I hate shopping with her. I'm like her living Barbie doll."

"In that case, we can stop before meeting up with them. I don't like the idea of you trying on an ass load of clothes and moving around too much until you're healed."

"Thank you for having both mercy and pity on me."

The click of the gas pump vibrated throughout the vehicle. Edward climbed out and put the nozzle back on the stand. I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt and took a deep breath. I knew I was being overly paranoid, but all things considered, I was pretty sure that was understandable. Edward opened my door and helped me down which served as a great reminder that I needed some ibuprofen. Or tequila. Whichever one they had.

"If anyone asks what happened to you, just say that it was a car accident and leave it at that."

I nodded and followed beside him, not saying a thing. I was not going to speak unless spoken to. The bell above the door rang as we entered the building. The smell of fresh coffee was almost intoxicating. That was a must.

"I'm going to run to the restroom a wash up. And assess the damage to my face."

"Okay, you go and I'll wait by the door."

The look of repugnance on my face must have been too obvious.

"You can give me that look all you want. I could go in there with you if you'd like."

"Waiting is fine. I'll be right out."

The florescent lights in the bathroom buzzed above my head. I braced myself and took a deep breath before looking in the mirror. A shocked gasp left my mouth when I saw my reflection. My nose was a dark shade of purple with splotches of red. My eyes were already starting to bruise and there were several small cuts along my cheek. I looked like utter hell. I quickly washed up and got out of the bathroom before Edward would start to think something happened and cause a scene.

Edward stood up against the wall, waiting for me. He looked so handsome and I looked so out of place standing next to him. His arms pulled me into his side and held me close to him. I felt his lips on the top of my forehead and smiled at the sweet gesture. The smell of coffee pulled my attention away from Edward and I quickly made a B line to it.

"Sorry, I need coffee."

"Get whatever you'll need. We won't be stopping again for a few hours."

I wandered through the aisles and grabbed random snacks. I stopped to look down at the blood splatters on my shirt. I must look like an axe murderer to the clerk. Looking around, I spotted the obligatory shirt rack. I looked over the designs quickly and grabbed the first one in my size. I wasn't going to spend the rest of our trip covered in mine and James' blood. With full arms I went and stood by Edward, who was holding a case of water with some chips and sandwiches on top of it.

"I grabbed a shirt. I really want to get out of this one for obvious reasons."

"That's fine. Do you have everything? The next stop is going to be several hours away."

"Yeah, I'm good. I have enough junk food for a small army."

Edward and I piled our stuff on the counter and smiled at the clerk. I saw the concerned look in his eyes as they darted back and forth between Edward and I.

"I was in a car accident this evening."

I saw the sideways glance that Edward gave me and the clerk looked a little relieved. The bell rang above the door and I watched as a young woman with bright red hair walked in. Her eyes fell on me and I got an uneasy feeling. I leaned into Edward's side and I could tell he was tense and watching the woman as well. We paid for our things and quickly headed to the SUV. I loaded what I had into the vehicle and watched as Edward walked around it.

"What are you doing?"

"I have a bad feeling about that redhead. I'm just checking for footprints to see if anyone else was by the vehicle."

After Edward had gone fully around the vehicle, he checked underneath it. While he was on the ground, I heard the door open again. I turned and saw the young redhead walking towards us. Edward got up quickly and was by my side in seconds. She stopped a foot in front of us and smiled. She reached her arm out and held a bag in her hand.

"You forgot this on the counter. I'm glad I caught you before you left."

Edward took the bag from her hand and smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You can always depend on the kindness of strangers, right?"

"Yeah, something like. We have to get going, but thank you again."

"It was no problem. Have a safe trip."

"You too. Have a great night."

I still felt uneasy as I watched the woman walk towards her car. Edward motioned for me to get into the car. I turned and walked towards the passenger side, still feeling uneasy. Just as I was reaching for the handle, the back window exploded around me. I whipped around and saw the redhead pointing a gun at Edward. His gun was drawn and clenched in his hand.

"Get in the car and stay low."

"Like that's going to save her. She's going to die no matter what you do, Edward. Whether it's at my hands or someone else's"

"Fuck you."

"A very witty retort. I suggest you save yourself and let me take her. It isn't you that we want."

"You'll take her over my cold dead body."

"Funny you should say that."

I wasn't sure who was the first to shoot. I dropped to the ground and crawled to the other side of the SUV. It was suddenly quiet. I peaked around the corner and saw that Edward and the woman had now both dropped their guns and were in full on hand to hand combat.

For every punch Edward threw, a punch was returned from her. Edward maneuvered around every move she made. I was sure that Edward was going to be okay until she delivered a blow by kicking his knees out from under him. He fell to the ground and her fist connected with his jaw. Edward pulled her down with him. She quickly scrambled to straddle him and attempt to hold him to the ground.

Her fists continuously struck his head and I watched helplessly. I saw a metallic glint in her hand and it only took a second for me to realize that it was a switchblade. I couldn't sit back and watch her kill Edward. I looked around and saw the neglected guns still laying on the ground.

Without hesitation, I ran to the first gun I could get my hands on and aimed it at the woman, "Hey! Let him go."

Her head snapped around and she climbed off of Edward. A small trickle of blood sat at the corner of her nose and she looked at the gun in my hand.

"How sweet. Trying to save your boyfriend?"

"Get away from him or I'll shoot."

"It doesn't matter, sweetheart. He had his chance to walk and he didn't take it. You're both going to die now."

"Go to hell."

I squeezed the trigger and the hammer clicked against the empty chamber. I squeezed again and heard the same sound. Her cackle cut through the cold night air as I desperately pulled the trigger. She began to walk towards me and I pulled the trigger one last time. A loud explosion rang out into the night and I watched a shocked expression form on her face. I looked down and saw a red blossom spread across her chest. Her hand went to her chest and then looked at the blood coating her fingers. Her breathing became raspy and shallow. Her eyes met mine as she fell to her knees. I kept the gun aimed at her as she dropped to the ground. A strong hand clamped on my shoulder and I jumped away from it.

"Bella, it's okay."

Edward took the gun from my hands and stuck it in his waistband. I could feel my body start shaking. Edward led me to SUV and opened the door. I climbed in and tried to focus on my breathing so I wouldn't hyperventilate. The SUV shifted as Edward climbed in. The engine turned over quickly and we drove off. I watched in the mirror as the woman's body got further and further away.

"Everything is going to be fine, Bella. I'll call Emmett and he'll take care of it."

My hands were shaking and starting to get clammy. It took a few minutes before I actually registered what had just happened. When it finally clicked, I felt sick. I had killed someone.

A/N: So to soothe your worries, the other chapter is already under way. I know where I'm going with it so it should be a lot easier to write. *fingers crossed* I love you all and I appreciate those of you that have stuck it out through my dip-shittery. ***HUGS ***


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